ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE

Web Help Desk

Version 12.5

Last Updated: November 14, 2017

Retrieve the latest version from: https://support.solarwinds.com/success_center/Netflow_Traffic_Analyzer_(NTA)/Documentation

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November 14, 2017

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Table of Contents
Introduction 23

Key features 23

Parent/child service relationships 24

Automated ticketing processing 24

IT asset management and inventory 24

IT change management 24

SolarWinds product integration 24

FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography 25

Architecture 25

Ticket processing 27

Evaluate the application 28

Set up the application 29

Setup overview 29

Setup menu options 30

Web Help Desk terms 31

Configure the general settings 31

Activate your license 32

Purchase a license 32

Create a standard access account 33

Retrieve your activation key 33

Apply the activation key 34

Migrate your installation to a different server 37

Configure the general options 38

Configure the server options 39

Enable a listening port 39

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

Redirect HTTP requests to an HTTPS port 40

Enable a URL port for generated URL links 41

Create a new keystore 41

Configure the authentication settings 42

Configure the authentication method and settings 43

Encrypt passwords using the Password Security Migration Tool 45

Set up the certificates 45

SSL certificates 45

Apple Push Notification Services certificates 47

Set the time and place 50

Add a new location and set the business hours 50

Add calendar events 51

Configure your look and feel 51

Add your company logo 51

Install and apply a new style sheet template 52

Customize the database connection 54

Set the log settings 56

View the system information 56

Prepare the Web Help Desk database 57

Prepare the MySQL time zone tables 58

Enable TCP/IP on SQL Server 59

Create and configure your SQL Server database 59

Configure Microsoft SQL Server 60

Enable TCP/IP on SQL Server 60

Create and configure your SQL Server database 60

Configure MySQL 61

Integrate Apache Tomcat 61

Disable IIS 62

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 Disable IIS on Windows Server systems 62

Bind IIS to a Windows interface 63

Set up email 63

Simplify email management – options 63

Configure an outgoing email account 64

Configure an incoming email account 65

Apply your email templates 66

Built-in email templates 66

Outgoing email templates 66

Incoming email templates 68

Template layout 69

Edit built-in email templates 70

Create new email templates 72

Apply your tags in email templates 76

Set up tickets 77

Configure ticket options 78

Define request types 79

Define status types 81

Set the status type options for the CAB feature 82

Create a priority type 82

Create custom ticket fields 83

Create tasks 85

Access the task screen 85

Create a new task 86

Add new task elements 87

Create new tickets from task elements 88

Define your techs 89

Create tech accounts 89

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Edit the admin account 92

Request types, tech groups, and ticket assignment 93

Request types 94

Tech groups 94

Ticket assignment logic 94

Define tech groups 96

Create a tech group 96

Define tech group levels for Orion platform alerts 97

Configure tech group levels 97

Assign supported request types 98

Define tech permissions 99

Create a new tech permission set 99

Assign techs to a permission set 100

Define the tech group email notifications 100

Define the default settings for ticket email recipients 101

Request type is not assigned to a tech group 101

Request type is assigned to a tech group 101

Define the ticket routing processes 102

Approvers 102

Approval processes 102

Approver roles 102

Create action rules for ticket processing 102

Action Rule Info tab 103

Criteria tab 103

Action tab 103

Add an Action Rule 104

Load balance action rules for ticket processing 106

Define the approval processes 107

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 Approvers 107

Approver Process Rules 109

Approval patterns 109

Plan your approval process 110

Approval process scenario and prerequisites 110

Scenario 110

Prerequisites 111

Create approver roles 112

Create approver roles for locations 113

Assign clients to location approval roles 113

Assign clients to department approval roles 114

Create a CAB 114

Assign a department and client to an approver role 117

Prerequisite 117

Assign a department and client 117

Create new status types 118

Prerequisites 118

Create a status type 118

Determine when a status type is applied to a ticket 119

Configure an approval process 120

Prerequisites 120

Configure an approval process 121

Test the approval process 123

Prerequisites 123

Test the process 123

Apply approvals 126

Ticket approvals 126

Approver action 127

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Email approvals 127

Client web approvals 128

Tech web approvals 128

Enter locations 129

Define Location custom fields 129

Define Department custom fields 131

Define clients 132

Manually create a client account 132

Define client options 133

Set up client admin roles 134

Add additional client admin permissions 134

Define client custom fields 135

Import Active Directory/LDAP directory connections 136

About LDAP 136

Validate LDAP certificates 136

Synchronize Web Help Desk user information 138

Import clients 139

Define assets 140

Configure asset import and permission options 141

Define asset type, status, warranty, and lease information 141

Asset Classes tab 141

Asset Status Types tab 141

Warranty Types tab 142

Lease Types tab 142

Define asset custom fields 142

Add manufacturers 144

Add vendors 145

Define PO custom fields 146

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 Import asset data 147

Set up parts and billing 148

Apply parts and billing options 148

Perform invoicing 149

Specify a company contact for invoices 149

Generate a PDF invoice or quote from a ticket 150

Define rates and terms 150

Define part custom fields 151

Configure inventory alerts 153

Override default inventory alert recipients 154

Set up the Dashboard 154

Ticket Chart widget 154

Create a ticket chart widget 155

Ticket Chart types 155

Ticket Chart Options 156

View tickets by category and status 157

View a selected ticket 158

Ticket chart performance limitations 159

Ticket Activity widget 160

Ticket Activity options 161

Ticket Activity message icons 161

Create a Ticket Activity widget 162

What's New widget 162

Create a What's New widget 162

Export the widget data 162

Start and Stop Web Help Desk Services 163

Microsoft Windows Server 163

Apple OS X 163

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Linux 164

Enable FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography 165

Network Security Services 165

CA and self-signed certificates 165

Before you begin 166

Requirements 166

Enable FIPS in a new deployment 168

Deployment checklist 168

Review the requirements 168

Download Web Help Desk 12.4.0 or later 168

Install Web Help Desk in your deployment 169

Install Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 169

Update the Environment Variables Path setting in your Windows Server operating system 169

Enable FIPS mode on your Apache Tomcat server 170

Stop Web Help Desk 170

Install the preconfigured Web Help Desk files for FIPS deployment 170

Edit the etc\hosts file 171

Edit the whd.conf file 171

(Optional) Edit the tomcat_server_template.xml file 172

(Optional) Edit the java.security file 172

(Optional) Edit the pkcs11_nss.cfg file 173

Create a Web Help Desk server certificate 173

Before you begin 174

Obtain a signed certificate by a trusted CA 174

Create and use a self-signed certificate 175

Complete the installation 178

Set up SolarWinds Integration and email 178

Enable FIPS in an existing deployment 179

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 Before you begin 179

Deployment checklist 179

Review the requirements 180

Ensure you are running Web Help Desk 12.4.0 or later 180

Ensure that the Web Help Desk hostname is correct 181

Install Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 181

Update the Environment Variables Path setting in your Windows Server operating system 182

Enable FIPS mode on your Apache Tomcat server 182

Stop Web Help Desk 183

Install the preconfigured Web Help Desk files for FIPS deployment 183

Edit the wrapper_template.conf file 183

Edit the etc\hosts file 184

Edit the whd.conf file 185

(Optional) Edit the tomcat_server_template.xml file 185

(Optional) Edit the java.security file 186

(Optional) Edit the pkcs11_nss.cfg file 187

Create a signed Web Help Desk certificate for your NSS database 188

Before you begin 188

Obtain a signed certificate by a trusted CA 188

Create and use a self-signed certificate 190

Complete the installation 193

Set up your SolarWinds Integration and email 193

Prepare for the database migration 193

Migrate user passwords to FIPS 140-2 cryptography 195

Prepare for the password migration 196

Execute the password migration 196

Notify all users that the migration is completed 196

Configure and manage user authentication 197

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Deploy SSO with SAML using AD FS 199

Before you begin 199

Configure Web Help Desk for AD FS 199

Configure SAML 2.0 on the AD FS server 200

Deploy SSO with CAS 2.0 200

Deploy CAS Server on Apache Tomcat 200

Download the Jasiq CAS Server web application file 201

Update the file 201

Download and apply the dependencies 203

Deploy CAS server on Apache Tomcat 203

Complete your CAS server deployment 204

Enable SSL on Web Help Desk 204

Deploy CAS 2.0 on the Web Help Desk server 204

Configure a GPO to push Internet Explorer settings 205

Enable HTTPS 206

Configure the HTTPS listening port 206

Configure a URL port 207

Enable listening for HTTPS requests 207

Enter the SSL connection port 207

Restart Web Help Desk 207

Manage keys and certificates 207

Trust certificates signed by CAs 208

Store keys and certificates 208

Generate a keypair and CSR 208

Import a certificate and private key to the keystore 208

Use a default keypair alias and password 209

Add certificate chains 209

Replace a self-signed certificate with a CA certificate 209

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 Generate a new certificate using Porteclé 210

Create a keypair 210

Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) 212

Import CA root and chain certificates 213

Import a CA reply certificate 213

Add a CA to the embedded Java CA cert keystore 214

Import certificates on Windows or macOS 214

Import an existing certificate 215

Create a PKCS#12 keystore from a private key and certificate 215

Export a PKCS#12 keystore from the Microsoft Management Console 216

Import a PKCS#12 file into the keystore 217

Certificate troubleshooting tips 218

Select the CA certs keystore 218

Import certificates in order 218

Use identical keypair and keystore passwords 218

Save your keystore 218

Enable your changes 218

Prevent certificate warnings 218

Enable HTTP requests 219

Troubleshoot and resolve issues 219

Manage clients 221

Create a client 221

Set up a client-initiated account 222

Assign an existing asset to a client 223

Manage tickets 225

How ticket automation works 225

Priority types 225

Action rules 226

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Tasks 226

Ticket flow 227

Create a ticket 229

Create a ticket through the web interface 230

Create a ticket through email 230

Create a quick ticket 230

Configure ticket status types 231

Modify a preconfigured status type 232

Creating a new status type 232

Configure ticket details 233

Select a request type 233

Improve ticket resolution with ticket types 234

Change ticket relationships 235

Link and unlink incident and problem tickets 235

Add details to tickets with tech notes 236

Add an FAQ to a tech note 237

Create a new tech permission 237

Send email to ticket recipients 237

Manage ticket tasks 238

Escalate and de-escalate tickets 238

View and customize the ticket queue 239

Display a list of tickets 239

About the ticket queue 240

Sort the ticket queue 240

Customize your view of the ticket queue 241

Search for a Web Help Desk ticket 241

Perform a basic search 241

Perform an advanced search 241

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 Advanced search examples 242

Perform actions on multiple tickets 243

Create a new bulk action 243

Edit a bulk action 243

Apply a bulk action to a group of tickets 244

Update and resolve tickets 244

Ticket information 244

Edit a ticket from the Web Console 244

Update tickets using email 245

Perform actions on multiple tickets 246

Create a new bulk action 246

Apply a bulk action to a group of tickets 247

Resolve a ticket 247

Merge tickets 248

Create parent/child service relationships 248

Service request tickets 248

Incident and problem tickets 249

Link child tickets to a parent ticket 250

Link incident tickets to a problem ticket 251

Link service request tickets to one service request 253

Link sub-child tickets to child tickets 255

Add notes to parent and child tickets 256

Automate parent/child ticket creation 258

Configure a task with elements 258

Link a child ticket to the parent 259

Configure an action rule 261

Create parent/child tickets 261

Manage assets 263

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How asset management works 263

Centralized repository 263

Asset discovery 263

Inventory maintenance and record keeping 264

Troubleshooting 264

Reporting 264

Discover assets 265

Configure the asset discovery tools 265

Configure the Absolute Manage (LANrev) settings 266

Configure the Apple Remote Desktop 3.2 settings 266

Configure the Apple Remote Desktop 3.3 and later settings 268

Configure Casper 8 and earlier settings 268

Configure the Casper 9 settings 269

Configure the Database Table or View settings 269

Configure the Lansweeper settings 270

Configure the Microsoft SMS/SCCM settings 271

Configure the NCM, NPM, and SAM settings 272

Configure the Discovery Engine 273

Install the MySQL JDBC Driver 275

Install the Driver on a Windows system 276

Install the Driver on a Mac system 276

Install the driver on a Linux system 276

Install the OpenBase JDBC Driver 276

Install the Driver on a Microsoft Windows system 277

Install the driver on an Apple OS X system 277

Install the driver on a Linux system 277

Sync and discover assets 277

Manually add assets 278

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 Search assets 279

Refine your search results 280

Save a query 280

Run a query 280

Remove assets 280

Edit asset properties 281

Create parent and child associations 283

Add assets as children of a parent asset 283

Remove assets as children of a parent asset 283

Add purchase orders 284

Add a vendor 284

Add a purchase order 284

Add purchase order line items 285

Import purchase orders 285

Reserve assets 285

Set up asset reservations as a tech 286

Set up asset reservations as a client 286

Reserve an asset as a client 286

Check assets in and out 286

Import asset data 287

Import and export data 288

Use templates to import data 289

TSV templates 289

Data import types 289

Import data using TSV, CSV, or Excel templates 290

Export data 290

Export tickets 291

Export clients 291

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Export assets 291

Export parts 292

Export FAQs 292

Create and edit reports 293

Sample reports 294

Bar and pie chart configuration options 294

Category 295

Bar Stack Category 295

Chart Metric 296

Putting it together 296

Create report groups 297

Create Asset reports 297

Create an asset report 298

Create a bar chart asset report 299

Create a pie chart asset report 300

Create a table only asset report 301

Create ticket reports 302

Create a bar chart ticket report 303

Create a pie chart ticket report 304

Create a table only ticket report 306

Create ticket billing reports 307

Create a custom report 308

Open tickets by tech 309

Tickets closed by request type with work time 311

Modify an existing report 312

View, print, or download reports 313

Schedule reports 314

Set up parts and billing 316

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 Add parts to a location 316

Add parts to a ticket 316

Manually add parts 317

Configure inventory alerts 318

Override default inventory alert recipients 318

Enable predefined service time blocks 319

Customize billing statements 319

Manage client feedback 321

Create surveys 321

Set the survey options 322

Create an automatic survey 322

Create a manual survey 322

Create messages 323

View ticket and survey results 323

Send email ticket surveys 324

SolarWinds Orion alert integration 326

Prepare request types for alert-based tickets 326

Alert-based ticket example 327

Configure Orion-to-Web Help Desk ticketing 328

Enable the SolarWinds Orion Platform to share alerts with Web Help Desk 329

Configure Orion alert sharing for Orion Platform 2015.1.0 and later 329

Configure Orion alert sharing prior to Orion Platform 2015.1.0 330

Test Orion server access to the integration email account 334

Enter a SolarWinds Orion Platform alert source 335

Configure the alert filtering rules 336

Filters 337

Examples: Configure an alert filtering rule 339

Test the alert filtering rules 341

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Integrate with DameWare MRC 343

Install DameWare MRC 343

Configure integration 344

Configure tech access 345

Launch and close 345

Launch from a client ticket 345

Launch from an asset 346

Close the session 346

Knowledge-centered support 350

Using Web Help Desk to build your knowledge store 350

Accessing FAQs in Web Help Desk 350

Create a new FAQ 351

Set tech permissions for FAQs 351

Access FAQs in the tech user interface 352

Manually create an FAQ 353

Create an FAQ based on a ticket note 355

Search FAQs 356

View or edit an FAQ 357

Link an FAQ to a support ticket 357

Get connected 358

Access the Customer Portal 358

Create your user profile 358

Explore the Customer Portal 359

Set up additional Customer Portal user accounts 360

Engage with the SolarWinds community 360

Create a thwack account 360

Explore the thwack site 361

Appendix 362

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 Deployment considerations 362

Memory sizing and JVM options 362

Clear JVM heap memory 362

High availability deployments 363

Monitor deployments on Apple OS X 364

Configure multiple instance Tomcat deployments 364

Configure multiple instance Tomcat daemons 366

Customize tickets, notes, instructions, and emails with BBCode 369

Apply basic formatting 370

Create your own tags 372

Add clickable links 372

Customize your server settings 374

Help Desk ports 374

Web Help Desk interfaces 375

Databases 375

Emails 375

LDAP and Active Directory 376

Asset Discovery 376

Configure firewalls for data traffic 377

Unsecured and secured ports for login 377

No redirect to HTTPS 377

URL ports (optional) 377

Tomcat server port 378

Mail notification port 378

Java home location 378

IP address 378

Privileged networks 378

Keystore settings (for SSL connections) 379

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Memory allocation 379

Database connections 380

Java command line options 380

JVM arguments 381

Connect an iPhone to a standard or hosted installation 398

Connect to a standard installation 398

Connect to a hosted installation 398

Program the REST API 399

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Introduction
SolarWinds® Web Help Desk® is a web-based automated ticketing solution that helps you manage your IT
support requests for both internal and external clients. Use Web Help Desk to create and manage tickets
through the web console. It also supports email ticket creation, automatic ticket assignment and escalation,
asset management, and incident and problem management.

Check out this video (1:23) for information about training and documentation resources available to
help you implement Web Help Desk.

All help desk processes are managed through the web console. After you set up the application, you can
configure Web Help Desk to perform specific tasks. These tasks include routing tickets to a specific help
desk technician or work group and creating new tickets from email requests or alert messages from a
supported monitoring application.

You can run Web Help Desk on the following operating systems and platforms:

l Microsoft® Windows Server®

l Apple® OS X
l Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®
l Fedora™
l CentOS

Web Help Desk includes an extensive library of FAQs, integrated tool tips, and online help you can access
from the Web console. See the Web Help Desk documentation website for additional information.

Key features
Web Help Desk provides the following features for managing your enterprise or managed service provider
(MSP) help desk operations:

l Parent/Child service relationships

l Automated ticket processing
l IT asset management and inventory
l IT change management
l SolarWinds product integration
l Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant cryptography

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

PARENT/CHILD SERVICE RELATIONSHIPS

You can link multiple service requests to one parent ticket to address a repeated issue or task (such as on-
boarding a new employee or tracking your IT projects). You can also pass notes, attachments, and custom
fields between parent and child tickets to share data to relevant tasks.

AUTOMATED TICKETING PROCESSING

You can generate help desk tickets manually in the user interface or automatically by emails from any
third-party monitoring tool. You can also create tasks to link a ticket automatically to an existing ticket that
triggers an action rule.

If you are running DameWare® Mini Remote Control (included with SolarWinds Help Desk Essentials), you
can establish a remote connection and troubleshoot a client system directly from a ticket or asset and save
remote session details into a new or existing ticket.

IT ASSET MANAGEMENT AND INVENTORY

Using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) or supported third-party discovery tools, you can
search a specific IP address range in your corporate network and create a list of client assets (such as
computer systems, installed software, and attached peripherals). When asset discovery is completed, you
can use DameWare MRC to connect remotely to a client system, troubleshoot the issue, and append
remote session information to a new or existing ticket.

IT CHANGE MANAGEMENT
You can manage change control in your organization using automated approval processes. These include
creating approver roles, assigning departments and clients to approver roles, and configuring approval
processes.

SOLARWINDS PRODUCT INTEGRATION

You can automatically create new tickets from alerts received from the following SolarWinds monitoring
products:

l SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM)

l SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor (SAM)
l SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)

If the ticket is not resolved within a preconfigured span of time, Web Help Desk can escalate the ticket and
send an SMS alert to the assigned help desk technician. Additionally, when you create new tickets, you can
send notes to the end user to provide status or request additional information.

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FIPS 140-2 COMPLIANT CRYPTOGRAPHY
You can configure your deployment for FIPS 140-2 compliance cryptography. This configuration is
required for computer systems installed in U.S. Federal government agencies and companies in a
regulated industry (such as healthcare and financial institutions) that share and distribute sensitive but
unclassified (SBU) information.

Architecture
The following illustration provides a high-level view of Web Help Desk in a stand-alone installation. In this
example, Web Help Desk is installed on a dedicated server with your choice of an embedded
PostgreSQL database or an external database such as MySQL™ or Microsoft® SQL Server®.

Beginning in 12.5.1, the Web Help Desk Admin Console uses secure port 8443 by default to connect
to the Web Help Desk server.

The following illustration provides a high-level view of a Web Help Desk stand-alone installation integrated
with the Orion Platform. This configuration links Web Help Desk to SolarWinds Network Performance
Monitor (NPM), Server and Application Monitor (SAM), and Network Configuration Manager (NCM) systems
to automatically create new tickets from Orion platform alerts and dispatch the appropriate techs to
address the issue.

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

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Ticket processing
Web Help Desk initiates and manages your help desk processes through the Web Console, email, SMS, and
built-in procedures. After you configure Web Help Desk, it automatically routes tickets to the proper
technician and updates your customer.

Web Help Desk accepts email ticket requests and opens a ticket based on the information in the email. You
can also update and close tickets using email. If a repair requires spare parts, Web Help Desk orders the
required parts.

Each customer can access a Web console dedicated to their help desk needs. Customers can access all of
their help desk features through a Web portal, but they cannot access information from other help desk
customers.

The following illustration provides an overview of Web Help Desk processes at a high level.

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

Evaluate the application

For 14 days after you install your evaluation version of Web Help Desk, you have unlimited tech seats. If
you do not purchase a license after 14 days, Web Help Desk automatically switches to a one-tech license.
All tech accounts other than the initial admin account become inactive, and the Assets and Processes tabs
in Setup are disabled.

Purchasing and entering a license reactivates the deactivated accounts. After you purchase a license in the
Customer Portal and receive an activation key code, enter the code in the Setup > General > License >
License Settings window.

Converting your unlicensed Web Help Desk version to a licensed version retains all of your existing
Web Help Desk settings or files. No additional configuration or installation is required.

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Set up the application
The following sections describe how to set up Web Help Desk for your help desk operations.

Setup overview
The following steps provide a basic overview of how to set up Web Help Desk in a typical help desk
deployment.

Some procedures may require you to start and stop Web Help Desk Services.

1. Configure the General settings, such as logging in and activating your Web Help Desk license,
configuring general user interface options, setting up your authentication method, customizing
your database connection, setting up the time zone and local work hours for your employees, and
configuring the look and feel of the Web Help Desk console.
2. Prepare the Web Help Desk database, such as Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and Apache Tomcat.
3. Set up your incoming and outgoing email settings, such as setting up your inbound and outbound
email accounts, applying email templates, and applying tags in email templates.
4. Set up your ticket functions, such as defining request types, status types, priority types and alert
triggers, custom ticket fields and tasks.
5. Define the techs in your help desk deployment, such as adding each tech, defining your tech
groups, and setting up the tech's permissions.
6. Define the ticket routing processes for all requests, such as setting up action rules for ticket
processing, adding approver roles, defining your approval processes, and apply approvals to
tickets.
7. Define the approval processes, such as approver roles and status types, and how to test and apply
your approvals.
8. Enter your locations, such as the room locations, location groups and assigned locations,
departments, and department groups.
9. Define your clients, such as setting up client administration roles, defining client custom fields,
importing Active Directory or LDAP directory connections, and importing clients.
10. Define your assets, including your asset import and permission options, asset types, asset custom
fields, manufacturer and model information, purchase order custom fields, and import asset data.
11. Define your parts and billing processes for applying parts and billing options, creating invoicing
options, defining rates and terms, and defining custom fields for your parts.
12. Set up the Dashboard with pie chart, bar graph, and text widgets that display ticket statistical data.
13. Activate your license before your 30-day evaluation period ends. When your evaluation license
expires, your single admin or tech account remains active, but all advanced features are disabled.

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

14. (Optional) Enable FIPS 140-2 cryptography for computer systems installed in U.S. Federal
Government agencies.
15. Start and stop Web Help Desk services when you install or update certain features in your Web
Help Desk deployment.

SETUP MENU OPTIONS

When you click Setup in the toolbar, the Setup screen displays with a left column menu. Below are
descriptions of each menu option.

MENU OPTION DESCRIPTION

General Defines licensing information, authentication methods, interface

appearance, time and location, logging, and information about the Web
Help Desk software.

Email Defines email options, incoming and outgoing email accounts, and email
templates.

Companies & Locations Defines companies, locations and rooms location groups and assigned
locations, techs, and group managers, location custom fields, departments
and department groups, and department custom fields.

Tickets Defines the Web Help Desk user interface and the fields and information
they contain, request types (such as facilities and hardware), status types
(such as Open and Pending), priority types and alerts (such as Urgent, High,
and Low), custom ticket fields, and task names.

Clients Defines the client options (such as ticket approval methods, display name
template, and default client view), client administration roles, client custom
fields, and Active Directory / LDAP connections.

Techs Defines your account information (My Account), all techs configured to use
Web Help Desk and their assigned tech groups, and tech permissions.

Assets Defines asset types, manufacturers and models, vendors, asset and
purchase order custom fields. From the Assets settings, you can run and
preschedule asset discoveries to scan connected networks for the assets in
your corporate network.

SolarWinds Integration Links Web Help Desk to SolarWinds NPM, SAM, and NCM systems to
automatically create new tickets from Orion platform alerts and dispatch
the appropriate techs to address the issue.

You must be connected to a supported Orion Platform version.

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 MENU OPTION DESCRIPTION

Processes Defines how Web Help Desk defines, stores, and applies action rules. Action
rules apply custom actions triggered by events you define, such as ticket
routing.

Surveys Defines your survey options and associated text to set up surveys and
gather feedback from your client users.

Parts and billing Defines your parts and billing options; custom fields; inventory alerts;
invoicing options; and billing rates, terms, and tax rates.

Data Import Defines how Web Help Desk imports data for locations, clients, assets,
purchase orders, tickets, and more.

WEB HELP DESK TERMS

The following terms define the roles and objects managed by Web Help Desk.

l Tickets: Support requests that are opened through and managed within Web Help Desk.
Tickets can be initiated through email, created in the Web Help Desk console, or imported from
another application.
l Clients: End users or customers who can open tickets in Web Help Desk.
Clients can enter tickets through email or through the Web console.
l Techs: Web Help Desk users who troubleshoot and resolve tickets.
Techs can also enter tickets. For example, when a client calls the IT Help Desk, the tech opens a ticket
on the client's behalf. In addition, techs can open tickets that are not associated with a client, such as
tickets to schedule routine maintenance or system upgrades.
l Admins: Techs with privileges to configure Web Help Desk.
l Tech Groups: A group of techs with similar skills and expertise.
l Request Types: A classification that identifies the type of support request.
Request types are used to automatically assign tickets to the appropriate tech group.

Configure the general settings

The General settings allow you to set up, configure, and personalize your Web Help Desk deployment.

These settings allow you to:

l Activate your license online or offline when your evaluation license expires. You can purchase a
license in the Customer Portal.
l Configure the general options that define how Web Help Desk presents information to clients and
techs.

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l Configure the server options to manage the HTTP and HTTPS ports running on Web Help Desk and
create a new Java keystore (JKS) or a Public-Key Cryptography Standards #12 (PKCS12) Keystore.
l Configure the authentication settings used to access Web Help Desk and migrate all client and tech
passwords to FIPS 140-2 cryptography.
l Set up the certificates. This process includes uploading an SSL certificate to the keystore and
downloading the latest Apple Push Notification Services (APNS) certificate.
l Configure the time zone and local work hours for the locations managed by your help desk.
l Configure your Web Help Desk screen with style sheets and logos.
l Customize the database connection settings and backup schedule.
l Set a critical level for logging.
l View your system environment settings, such as the Java version and JVM memory allocation.

ACTIVATE YOUR LICENSE

When your evaluation license expires, your single admin or tech account remains active, but all advanced
features are disabled. When you purchase and activate a commercial license, you can access all advanced
features and additional tech seats based on your purchase.

If you are evaluating Web Help Desk, you do not need to purchase and apply an activation key. For the next
30 days, you will have unlimited tech accounts. If you have not purchased and applied a license after 30
days, the tech accounts are deactivated. To continue using the application, purchase a Web Help Desk
license. After you activate your license, the tech accounts and product functionality are restored.

To activate your license:

1. Purchase a Web Help Desk license.

2. Create a standard access account.
3. Retrieve your license or activation key.
4. Activate your license online or offline.
5. If you plan to migrate your installation to another server, deactivate your license on the original
server before you activate your license on the new server

Select online or manual license activation, based on whether your Web Help Desk system can reach the
SolarWinds website.

PURCHASE A LICENSE
You can purchase a Web Help Desk license by:

l Using the Online Store

l Contacting Customer Sales
l Submitting a purchase order to ordersus@solarwinds.com(within the United States) or
ordersemea@solarwinds.com (outside the United States).

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You will receive an email with your SolarWinds customer ID (SWID) and password along with your invoice (if
purchased directly). The license includes a one-year maintenance contract. After you apply a commercial
license key to your Web Help Desk software software, you cannot change the license back to a trial or free
single-seat license.

You can upgrade the product license to a larger license tier as you increase the number of techs.
Contact Customer Sales for details.

Web Help Desk does not require a monthly cost. After you purchase Web Help Desk, you own the
product with the option to renew the maintenance contract each year after the initial purchase.

CREATE A STANDARD ACCESS ACCOUNT

After you purchase a license, create a standard access account on the SolarWinds Customer Portal to
retrieve your activation key.

1. Locate the SolarWinds SWID in your purchase confirmation email.

2. Go to customerportal.solarwinds.com.
3. Under the Register tab, enter your SWID (customer ID) and password.
4. Click Register.
5. Review the information and click Continue.
6. Complete the fields in the page to create your individual user account (IUA).
7. Click Create Individual Profile.
8. Access your email account and follow the directions in the email to verify your account.
9. Click Continue to Customer Portal.
10. Log out of the Customer Portal.
11. In the Login and Password fields, enter the email address and password you entered in your
individual profile.
You can now access the Customer Portal using your email address.

RETRIEVE YOUR ACTIVATION KEY

After you purchase a license and create a standard access account, log in to the SolarWinds Customer
Portal and retrieve your Activation Key.

1. In the Customer Portal, click License > Manage Licenses.

2. Above the product list, click the View drop-down menu and select Web Help Desk.
3. In the Your Selections menu, locate your product version.

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4. Under License Activation Information, locate the activation key.

5. Copy the activation key.

APPLY THE ACTIVATION KEY

After you obtain your license key from the Customer Portal, apply the license key to Web Help Desk.

If you plan to migrate your installation to another server, deactivate your license on the original
server before you activate your license on the new server.

ACTIVATE THE LICENSE ONLINE

If the Web Help Desk server has Internet access, use online activation for the fastest, easiest license
activation. This process requires you to enter the Activation Key obtained from the SolarWinds Customer
Portal.

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.

2. Click Setup.

3. On the General panel, click License.

4. Click the padlock to edit the license settings.

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 5. Enter the Activation Key, and click Activate.

The Web Help Desk license is activated. The activation automatically synchronizes your Customer
Contact Details with your account on the Customer Portal.

ACTIVE THE LICENSE OFFLINE

If the Web Help Desk Server does not have Internet access or is behind a proxy or firewall restricting
access to the SolarWinds website, use offline activation. This process requires you to download an
activation file using another system with Internet access.

1. Click Setup.

2. On the General panel, click License.

3. Click the padlock to edit the license settings.

4. Copy the unique Machine ID code in the Machine ID field.

5. Transfer the file to another computer with Internet access.

6. Using the computer with Internet access, log in to the SolarWinds Customer Portal.
7. Click Licenses > Manage Licenses.

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8. Above the product table, click the View drop-down menu and select Web Help Desk.
9. In the License Activation Information column, locate your Web Help Desk license and click Activate
license manually.

10. In the Activate license screen, generate a license file.

a. Enter your name, email address, phone number, and the computer name.

b. Paste the unique machine ID code from your computer into the Unique Machine ID box.

The Customer Portal validates the code. If the code is valid, a validation message displays.

11. Click Generate License File.

12. Follow the prompts on your screen to download the license file.
13. Return to License Settings in Web Help Desk.

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 14. Click Choose File and select the license file.

15. Click Activate.

The Web Help Desk license is activated.

MIGRATE YOUR INSTALLATION TO A DIFFERENT SERVER

If you plan to migrate your installation to another server, deactivate your license on the original server.
Otherwise, you cannot activate the license on the new server. Your Web Help Desk license can only be
active on one server. You can deactivate your license online or offline.

If you are running Web Help Desk in a clustered deployment, activate your license only when the primary
node is migrated to a new node.

Deactivate your license online

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.

2. In the user interface, click Setup > General > License.
3. Click the Lock icon.
4. Click Deactivate.
Your license is deactivated.

DEACTIVATE YOUR LICENSE OFFLINE

To deactivate your license offline, contact SolarWinds Support through the Customer Portal. If your server
is not connected to the Internet, a support technician can manually deactivate your license.

If you lost your previous license, contact SolarWinds Support for assistance.

REINSTALL A LICENSE ON THE SAME SERVER

Servers running Microsoft Windows Server or Apple OS X will usually preserve your Web Help Desk license
when the software is uninstalled and reinstalled on the same server. However, when you uninstall the
software on a system running Linux, your license is deleted.

The safest method to uninstall and reinstall Web Help Desk is to deactivate your license before you
uninstall the software. When completed, reactivate your license after you install the software on the new
server.

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CHANGE THE JAVA BIT VERSION ON MICROSOFT WINDOWS SERVERS

If you are running Web Help Desk 32-bit and you update your software to Web Help Desk 64-bit, the
software may appear to run with a Demo license. To update your Java software to the corresponding bit
version, deactivate your license, install the new Web Help Desk software, and then reactive your license.

If you lose your previous Web Help Desk license, contact Customer Support through the
SolarWinds Customer Portal to deactivate your license offline.

ACTIVATE YOUR LICENSE IN A CLUSTERED DEPLOYMENT

In a clustered deployment, your license is bound to the primary node (physical or virtual) in the cluster.
Ensure that the primary node is always available to activate or deactivate your license.

For new installations, install the primary node and activate your license before you configure your load
balancer or deploy your secondary nodes.

For an existing deployment, take all secondary nodes offline and upgrade the primary node. Be aware that
if the primary node is down for longer than a week, the secondary nodes are deactivated.

If you cannot activate or deactivate your license, you may have an issue with your network connection
between the primary and secondary nodes—for example, network communications are blocked or the
primary node port(s) are configured incorrectly. Try to connect directly to your primary node through your
Web browser (bypassing the load balancer) and manipulate the license in this location. For further
assistance, contact SolarWinds Customer Support.

CONFIGURE THE GENERAL OPTIONS

The General Options screen allows you to define how Web Help Desk presents information to clients and
techs. You can define how much information a client or tech can view, but you cannot filter dashboard
data for administrators.

A basic Web Help Desk deployment does not require any changes to the default settings. However, you can
customize the general options for your environment. For example, you can force your deployment to use a
secure HTTPS port or include direct contact information in your client emails.

Limiting the amount of data displayed in search results or the dashboard can increase system
performance.

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 1. In the toolbar, click Setup > General > Options.
2. Complete the fields and selections as required, and then click Save.
Click the tooltips for specific information about each option.

3. Click Save.

CONFIGURE THE SERVER OPTIONS

Beginning in Web Help Desk 12.5.1, you can enable HTTPS by configuring the server options located at
Setup > General. These options allow you to:

l Configure the HTTP and HTTPS ports running on Web Help Desk
l Create a new keystore to store your SSL certificates
l Restart Web Help Desk

After you configure the ports, Web Help Desk copies the settings to the whd.conf file in the Web Help
Desk home directory. If you decide to update the whd.conf file on your own, the new settings are
reflected in the user interface.

Using Keystore Options, you can create a custom Java Keystore (JKS) to share certificates for other
applications. You can create a new JKS or a Public Key Cryptography Standards #12 (PKCS12) Keystore.

ENABLE A LISTENING PORT

Enable the listening port to listen for HTTP or HTTPS requests, and then configure the port number used to
monitor the requests.

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After you configure the port, include the port number in URLs that refer to Web Help Desk. For example, if
you select port 8081, enter https://localhost:8081 in the web browser.

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.

2. Click Setup > General > Server Options.
3. Click HTTP Enabled to enable the HTTP port.

4. Enter an HTTP Port number between 0 and 6553 to monitor the HTTP request. For example, enter
8081 to process non-secure traffic from the Web Help Desk Console.

5. Click HTTPS Enabled to enable the HTTPS port (if required).

6. Enter an HTTPS Port number between 0 and 65535 to monitor the HTTPS request. For example, enter
8443 to process secure traffic from the Web Help Desk Console.

7. Click Save.
8. Click Restart Web Help Desk.

REDIRECT HTTP REQUESTS TO AN HTTPS PORT

To ensure all incoming requests use a secure connection, enable Redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS. When
enabled, all incoming requests redirect to a secure HTTPS port.

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.

2. Click Setup > General > Server Options.
3. Click the Redirect HTTP Requests to HTTPS.

4. Click Save.
5. Click Restart Web Help Desk.

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ENABLE A URL PORT FOR GENERATED URL LINKS
Web Help Desk generates internal URLs to link customer tickets to specific resources, such as an FAQ. For
additional security, configure the generated URL links to access a secure port on the Web Help Desk server.

For example, you can configure a web server to route requests for default port 80 to the default Web Help
Desk port 8081. As a result, all generated URL links use port 8081 to access the Web Help Desk server.

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.

2. Click Setup > General > Server Options.
3. If HTTP is enabled, click Custom HTTP Port for Generated URL Links.

4. Enter an HTTP port number between 0 and 65535 for the generated URL link.
The default selection is port 8081.

5. If HTTPS is enabled, click Custom HTTPS Port for Generated URL Links.

6. Enter an HTTPS port number between 0 and 65535 for the generated URL link.
The default selection is port 443.

7. Click Save.
8. Click Restart Web Help Desk.

CREATE A NEW KEYSTORE

By default, Web Help Desk creates a Java KeyStore (JKS) at <WebHelpDesk>/conf/keystore.jks when
you install the software. Using Keystore Options, you can create a custom JKS to share certificates for other
applications.

1. In the Path field, enter a path to the keystore file on the server.
Include the file name in the path, such as keystore.jks (for JKS certificates) or keystore.p12
(for PKCS12 certificates).

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2. Click the Type drop-down menu and selected a keystore file format.
3. Enter a new password for the keystore file.
The current password for the keystore.jks file is changeit. To use the existing password, leave
the field empty.
4. Click Save.
5. Click Restart Web Help Desk.

CONFIGURE THE AUTHENTICATION SETTINGS

The Authentication settings allow you to configure the authentication methods used to access Web Help
Desk.

If you plan to install FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography in your deployment, use the Password Security
Migration Tool to encrypt all client and tech account passwords to FIPS 140-2 cryptography prior to
activation. The migration tool invalidates all stored client and tech passwords that use a weaker
cryptography standard.

All techs who did not log in to Web Help Desk before their planned migration date will not be able to log in.
To enable techs to recover their password, select Web Help Desk as the Authentication Method and select
the Show Forgot Password Button checkbox.

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CONFIGURE THE AUTHENTICATION METHOD AND SETTINGS

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select General > Authentication.

2. Complete the fields and selections in the top portion of the screen as required, then click Save.
Click the tooltips for more information.

The following table describes the authentication methods you can select in the screen.

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AUTHENTICATION METHOD DESCRIPTION

Web Help Desk Authenticates the user with the user name and password. User
names and passwords are pulled from the Web Help Desk
database or imported from Active Directory or LDAP connections.

SAML 2.0 An XML protocol that provides authentication from an Identity

(Security Assertion Markup Provider (IdP) to a Service Provider (SP).
Language)
See Deploy SSO with SAML Using AD FS for information about
configuring SAML with AD FS for Web Help Desk.

AD FS must be configured separately to integrate with Web

Help Desk. See the AD FS 2.0 step-by-step and how-to
guides at the Microsoft TechNet website for more
information.

CAS 2.0 Uses a single sign on (SSO) service URL to authenticate the user
(Central Authentication Service) provided by Web Help Desk. The CAS server sends the user back
to Web Help Desk and attaches a "ticket" to the Web Help Desk
URL. Web Help Desk submits the ticket to the CAS validate URL to
obtain the user name of the authenticated user.

See Deploy SSO with CAS 2.0 for information on how to set up CAS
2.0 on your Web Help Desk Tomcat server.

Servlet Authentication Provides the authenticated user name to Web applications using
(for Apache Tomcat installations) the HttpServletRequest.getRemoteUser() method.

You can use Windows Authentication Framework Light

Edition (WAFFLE) at your own risk for Web Help Desk servlet
authentication. SolarWinds does not support this method of
SSO.

For information about configuring WAFFLE, see Servlet Single Sign

On Security Filter at the GitHub website. For additional
information, see the SolarWinds Thwack website and the
SolarWinds KB article titled WAFFLE Servlet Authentication
Configuration Steps.

HTTP Header Uses Web servers (such as the Apache HTTP Server) to forward
externally authenticated user information using HTTP headers.

HTTP Form Value Forwards the authenticated user name through an HTTP
name/value pair instead of an HTTP header.

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ENCRYPT PASSWORDS USING THE PASSWORD SECURITY MIGRATION TOOL
If you install FIPS 140-2 cryptography in an existing deployment, you can use the Password Security
Migration Tool to ensure that all client and tech account passwords are migrated to FIPS 140-2
cryptography.

See the tooltip for more information.

SET UP THE CERTIFICATES

Use Certificates to manage SSL and Apple Push Notification Services (APNS) certificates.

When a web browser submits an HTTPS request to Web Help Desk, the SSL protocol requires the
application to respond with a certificate to verify the authenticity of the server. The certificate contains a
public key used for encryption and a digital signature from a Certification Authority (CA). The digital
signature indicates which CA verified the authenticity of the server.

Web Help Desk stores the certificates in the Java keystore located at
<WebHelpDesk>/conf/keystore.jks. You can also store the certificates in a separate Public-Key
Cryptography Standards #12 (PKCS12) KeyStore, or Java KeyStore (JKS) that you create in Server Options.

APNS certificates enable Web Help Desk to send notifications to an Apple device running Web Help Desk
Mobile and a supported Apple iOS. When enabled, the device receives Short Message Service (SMS) text
messages each time a customer ticket is created or updated.

SSL CERTIFICATES
SSL certificates create a secure connection between Web Help Desk and an external resource. Web Help
Desk supports the following SSL certificates:

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l Self-signed SSL certificate

l Certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA)
l Public-Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS) #12 certificate

The Certificates page displays all certificates that are currently in the keystore and defined in the .conf
file. In this example, the Apache Tomcat SSL certificate is installed in the keystore.

The following table lists some third-party applications used with Web Help Desk that require an SSL
certificate.

PRODUCT SSL CERTIFICATE FUNCTION

Apache Tomcat Creates a secure connection to the Apache Tomcat web and
application server.

Microsoft® Exchange Server® Creates a secure connection to the Exchange server used to
retrieve incoming Web Help Desk ticket emails sent from
clients.

PostgreSQL Creates a secure connection to an external

PostgreSQL database.

UPLOAD AN SSL CERTIFICATE

Download the SSL certificate file in CER format from the certificate provider. After you unzip the file,
upload the .p12 or .pfx certificate into Web Help Desk.

1. Download the SSL certificate from the third-party software website.

2. Unzip the file.
3. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.
4. Click Setup > General > Certificates.
5. Under Certificates in the keystore, click Upload, and then click Browse.
6. Navigate to the unzipped file directory.

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 7. Complete the on-screen prompts to install the SSL certificate.
8. Click Restart to restart the Web Help Desk server.
The SSL certificate is installed on the Web Help Desk server.

DELETE A CERTIFICATE

1. Select a certificate in the keystore.

2. Click Delete.
3. Follow prompts on your screen to delete the certificate.

EDIT AN ALIAS

Some resources require the keypair to have a specific alias. For example, the Apache Tomcat web server
requires its keypair to have a tomcat alias to enable HTTPS. To change the certificate alias, upload the
certificate into the keystore. When you are finished, select the certificate and edit the alias.

If the alias name is empty or incorrect, the resource will not use the correct certificate and create its
own certificate.

1. Locate the alias name required for the certificate.

2. Select a certificate in the keystore.
3. Click Edit Alias.
4. Enter a new name for the certificate, and click Save.
The new certificate name displays in the keystore list.

APPLE PUSH NOTIFICATION SERVICES CERTIFICATES

APNS requires an APNS Certificate that establishes the communications link between APNS and the Apple
device. This certificate is included with Web Help Desk.

The APNS panel displays the current APNS Certificate expiration date and allows you to upload a new
APNS Certificate file when the existing file expires.

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To enable APNS on an Apple device:

1. Set up and register the device with the Web Help Desk server.
2. Enable SMS on the Apple device.
3. Send a test notification message to the Apple device to verify that APNS is enabled.

SET UP AND REGISTER A DEVICE

Install the Web Help Desk Mobile software and register the Apple device with the Web Help Desk server.

1. Locate the following Web Help Desk server information:

l Host name or IP address
l Port number (secure TCP 8443 or non-secure TCP 8081)
2. Download Web Help Desk Mobile from the Apple iTunes site.
3. Install the software on the Apple device.
4. Complete the online registration form.
5. Log in to Web Help Desk.
6. Click Setup > Techs > Techs.
7. Click your name in the Tech Name column.

8. In the Account Info tab, scroll down to Mobile Devices Setup and verify that your Apple device
displays as a registered device.

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ENABLE THE SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE (SMS)

Enable Web Help Desk to send SMS text messages to the Apple device.

1. In the Account Info tab, click to enter Edit mode.

2. Scroll down to E-Mail Setup and select the SMS E-Mail Enabled checkbox.
Additional options display under the setting.

3. Enter the email address associated with the Apple device.

For example, if the device uses Verizon email, enter joeadmin@vtext.com.
Contact your mobile carrier for the proper email format.

4. Select the minimum ticket priority that triggers an SMS e-mail to the Apple device.
5. Select the minimum ticket alert level that triggers an SMS e-mail to the Apple device.
6. (Optional) Select the Repeating check box to continue sending SMS e-mails until the ticket condition
is updated.
7. Click Save.

SEND A TEST NOTIFICATION MESSAGE

Verify that the Apple device receives APNS notifications from the Web Help Desk server.

1. Click Setup > General > Certificates in the Web Help Desk Console.
2. Under Apple Push Notification Services, click Send Test Notification.
3. Verify that you received a notification on your Apple device.
APNS is configured for the Apple device.

UPLOAD AND INSTALL A NEW APNS CERTIFICATE

When the APNS certificate expires, download a new APNS Certificate from the SolarWinds Customer Portal
and install the certificate using the Web Help Desk Console.

1. Download an updated APNS certificate.

a. Log in to the SolarWinds Customer Portal.
b. Click the License Management drop-down menu and select My Downloads.
c. Click the Products drop-down menu and select Web Help Desk.

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d. Under Additional Downloads, locate the Apple Push Notification (APN) Certificate.
e. Click Download.
The file is downloaded to the server.
2. Unzip the file contents to a network share.
3. Click Setup > General > Certificates in the Web Help Desk Console.
4. Under Upload a new APNS Certificate file, click Browse.
5. Navigate to the unzipped file.
6. Complete the on-screen prompts to complete the upload.
7. Click Restart to restart the Web Help Desk server.
The new APNS certificate is installed and the new APNS certificate expiration date displays in the
Certificates page.

SET THE TIME AND PLACE

The Time & Place settings configures the time zone and local work hours for the locations managed by
your help desk. You can also configure calendar events that appear in your Web Help Desk calendars.

ADD A NEW LOCATION AND SET THE BUSINESS HOURS

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select General > Time and Place.
2. Click New.
3. Complete the fields and selections as required, and then click Save.
Click the tooltips for more information.

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ADD CALENDAR EVENTS

1. Click the Calendars tab.

2. Complete the fields and selections as required, then click Save.
Click the tooltips for more information.

CONFIGURE YOUR LOOK AND FEEL

The Look and Feel screen allows you to configure your Web Help Desk screen with style sheets and logos.
By applying a style sheet to your deployment, you can render your Log In screen and the client interface
with your corporate branding.

ADD YOUR COMPANY LOGO

1. Locate a PNG or GIF image file for your logo.

For the classic style sheet (CSS), the image should be 259 x 61 pixels. Otherwise, the image height
should be 70 pixels or less.
2. Log in to the Web Help Desk web console.
3. Click Setup > General > Look and Feel.
The Look and Feel page displays.

4. Click Clear to remove the default logo.

The Add File button displays in the Logo field.

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5. Click Add File and select the logo image file.

6. Click Save.
Your company logo displays in the Logo field.

INSTALL AND APPLY A NEW STYLE SHEET TEMPLATE

1. Download your style sheet template.

You can also click Style Sheet Gallery > CSS Gallery and select a new cascading style sheet (CSS) in
the SolarWinds Thwack Community Web page.
2. Copy the content of the zipped .css file into the clipboard.
3. In the Client Style Sheet row, select Custom and click Edit CSS to open the CSS editor.

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 4. Remove any existing content in the editor (if available).

5. Paste the template from the clipboard.

6. Select Replace Default CSS and Compress.
7. Click Update to refresh the panel with parameters from the new template.
8. Review the new style sheet implementation at the bottom of the page.

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9. Adjust the template Header, Help Desk Name, and Button Bar color, size, and spacing parameters to
suit your needs.
For information about color code names and colors, see the w3schools.com HTML Color
Names site.

10. Click Save to activate the new style sheet.

CUSTOMIZE THE DATABASE CONNECTION

The Database Connection screen allows you to customize your database connection settings and backup
schedule.

When you install and run Web Help Desk for the first time, the application automatically selects the
embedded PostgreSQL database and will not prompt you for a database connection or license key. If you
decide to use an external database, update your database connection settings in this screen. When you
are finished, click Save and restart Web Help Desk to enable your new settings.

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 1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select General > Database.
2. Click the Vendor drop-down menu and select the appropriate database for your Web Help Desk
installation.
If you select PostgreSQL as your primary database, select the Use Embedded Database check box to
use the embedded PostgreSQL database included with Web Help Desk.

When you deselect Use Embedded Database, the Database field displays.

3. In the Host field, enter the IP address or DNS name of the server hosting the Web Help Desk
database.

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4. In the Port field, enter the port number for the database connection.
The default ports include:
l 3306 (MySQL)
l 1433 (Microsoft SQL Server)
l 5432 (PostgreSQL)
5. In the Database field (if available), enter the name of your Web Help Desk database.
6. In the Username and Password fields, enter the user name and password for your Web Help Desk
database connection.
7. In the Backup Schedule row, select the days of the week and time of day when Web Help Desk will
automatically backup the database.
Otherwise, leave this row blank to prevent Web Help Desk from scheduling a backup.
8. In the Backup Folder row (if available), select or enter the appropriate backup folder path to store
your database backup files.
9. In the Number of backups drop-down menu (if available), select the total number of backups to store
in your database backup file.
Web Help Desk uses first-in, first-out database storage logic. For example, if you choose to save five
backup files and in time save a sixth backup file, the first backup in the series will be deleted.
10. Click Backup Now to backup your new Web Help Desk database file to your backup folder.
11. Click Save.
12. Click Restart Web Help Desk to enable your new database connection settings.

SET THE LOG SETTINGS

Use the Logs page to set a critical level for logging. This is not required for your initial configuration and is
typically used for troubleshooting.

1. Click Setup > General Logs.

2. Adjust the log settings as required.

3. Click Save to save your changes.

VIEW THE SYSTEM INFORMATION

The System Environment screen located at Setup > General > System Information contains information
about troubleshooting and understanding your server’s configuration.

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The following table describes the fields listed in the screen.

FIELD / BUTTON DESCRIPTION

Web Help Desk Version Displays the version of your SolarWinds Web Help Desk
software version.

See the SolarWinds Customer Portal website for updates.

Java Version The current version of your Java Virtual Machine (JVM) running
the SolarWinds Web Help Desk software.

Java Home The location of the Java Library.

Classpath The Java classpath parameter setting used by the SolarWinds

Web Help Desk software.

The default installation only includes WOBoostrap.jar, which

provides a class loader for other files needed by the software.
The default setting can be extended by defining the
CLASSPATH environment variable.

Extension Dirs The extension directories included with the SolarWinds Web
Help Desk software.

Temp Dir The directory provided to the JVM for storing temporary files.

Operating System The operating system and user account for your SolarWinds
Web Help Desk software.

Graphics Environment The graphics environment used by Web Help Desk to generate
charts. This setting may be useful when troubleshooting
reporting issues.

JVM Memory The amount of memory currently used by the SolarWinds Web
Help Desk software and the total amount of available memory
reported by the JVM.

Preferred Browser Locale(s) The current preferred locale codes provided by your Web
browser, in order of preference.

Daemon Mode The mode that the daemon services are running from within
this instance of SolarWinds Web Help Desk.

Restart Web Help Desk Restarts the Web Help Desk server.

Prepare the Web Help Desk database

SolarWinds Web Help Desk supports the following databases:

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l Embedded PostgreSQL
l MySQL™
l Microsoft® SQL Server Standard or Enterprise Edition

If your Web Help Desk deployment requires database management features such as failover
clusters, do not use the embedded PostgreSQL database included with Web Help Desk. Failover
clusters are not available with the embedded PostgreSQL database.

If you choose embedded PostgreSQL as your primary database, Web Help Desk installs the database on the
Web Help Desk server during the installation. No additional configuration is required.

If you choose non-embedded, non-default Microsoft SQL Server or MySQL as your primary database, install
the database engine and management tools on a separate server prior to installing Web Help Desk. See
the Microsoft Technet or MySQL website for installation instructions.

Install SQL Server or MySQL on a dedicated drive with at least 20 GB of space to accommodate the
database engine, management tools, help desk tickets, and ticket file attachments. You can also configure
Web Help Desk to use a new SQL Server database instance on an existing server running SQL Server.

After you install the MySQL software, prepare the MySQL time zone tables.

After you install the SQL Server software, enable TCP/IP on the SQL server and create and configure your
SQL Server database.

PREPARE THE MYSQL TIME ZONE TABLES

If you choose non-embedded, non-default MySQL as your primary database, install the database and
manually populate your time zone system tables.

You can search for tickets using two new qualifiers: Due Date and First Call Resolution. These qualifiers
rely on data located in four MySQL system tables:

l time_zone
l time_zone_name
l time_zone_transition
l time_zone_transition_type

These tables are created when you install MySQL in your deployment, but are not populated by default
with data. Web Help Desk requires this data because Due Date and First Call Resolution qualifier logic is
implemented from within the database. If the database is missing time zone data, these qualifiers do not
work properly.

When you install your MySQL database, be sure to manually populate these system tables with time zone
data. See the MySQL website and follow the instructions for MySQL Server time zone support.

You can check the system tables by executing the following query:

SELECT * FROM mysql.time_zone

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If the query does not create new table rows, the tables are not populated with data.

ENABLE TCP/IP ON SQL SERVER

Configure the following settings in the SQL Server Configuration Manager.

SETTING VALUE

TCP/IP Protocol Enabled in SQL Server Network Configuration > Protocols for SQL
20xx

IP Address 127.0.0.1 (if installed on the Web Help Desk server)

Server IP address (if installed on a separate server)

TCP Port 1433

IPAll

TCP Dynamic Ports Blank

TCP Port 1433

CREATE AND CONFIGURE YOUR SQL SERVER DATABASE

Configure the following settings in the SQL Server Management Studio for SQL Server to create and
configure SQL Server to the Web Help Desk database instance.

SETTING VALUE

SQL Server and Windows Authentication Mode Enabled

Login Name whd

SQL Server Authentication: Password Enabled and configured

SQL Server Authentication: Enforce password policy Disabled

SQL Server Authentication: Enforce password expiration Disabled

SQL Server Authentication: User must change password Disabled

at next login

Database name whd

Database owner whd

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CONFIGURE MICROSOFT SQL SERVER

To configure SQL Server for your Web Help Desk deployment, use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to
enable TCP/IP on SQL Server. When completed, use SQL Server Management Studio for SQL Server to
create and configure SQL Server to the Web Help Desk database instance.

ENABLE TCP/IP ON SQL SERVER

Configure the following settings in the SQL Server Configuration Manager.

SETTING VALUE

TCP/IP Protocol Enabled in SQL Server Network Configuration > Protocols for SQL
20xx

IP Address 127.0.0.1 (if installed on the Web Help Desk server)

Server IP address (if installed on a separate server)

TCP Port 1433

IPAll

TCP Dynamic Ports Blank

TCP Port 1433

CREATE AND CONFIGURE YOUR SQL SERVER DATABASE

Configure the following settings in the SQL Server Management Studio for SQL Server to create and
configure SQL Server to the Web Help Desk database instance.

SETTING VALUE

SQL Server and Windows Authentication Mode Enabled

Login Name whd

SQL Server Authentication: Password Enabled and configured

SQL Server Authentication: Enforce password policy Disabled

SQL Server Authentication: Enforce password expiration Disabled

SQL Server Authentication: User must change password Disabled

at next login

Database name whd

Database owner whd

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CONFIGURE MYSQL
1. Start MySQL Workbench and connect to the MySQL database server.
2. Create a new schema with the following settings:
l Name: whd
l Collation type: utf8 - utf8_general_ci
3. Open the Configuration > Options File.
4. Configure the following settings:
l Networking - Port: 3306
l General - default-storage-engine: InnoDB
l Misc - init_connect: SET NAMES utf8
5. Stop and then restart the server.
6. Configure the Users and Privileges settings with the following:
l Login Name: whd
l Password: <your_password>
l Limit Connectivity to Hosts Matching: localhost
7. Configure your Schema Privileges.
a. Select the whd user.
b. Add a new entry with your host in the Host box.
c. In the Schema box, select Selected Schema and whd and click OK.
d. Select all Object, DDL, and Other rights check boxes.
8. Save your changes.

INTEGRATE APACHE TOMCAT

By default, Web Help Desk runs on port 8081. If Apache Tomcat is not required and you prefer to run the
application on port 80, perform the following steps:

1. Stop Apache.
2. Set the DEFAULT_PORT variable in webhelpdesk/conf/whd.conf to 80.
3. Restart Web Help Desk.
Execute:
/usr/local/webhelpdesk/whdstart

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4. Enable Apache to run on port 80 by allowing it to proxy requests to the Web Help Desk on port
8081.
a. Open the webhelpdesk/conf/whd.conf file.
b. In the file, set the URL_DEFAULT_PORT setting to 80
c. Save the webhelpdesk/conf/whd.conf file.
d. Enable mod_proxy as described in the Apache HTTP Server Version 2.0.
See Apache Module mod_proxy on the Apache Software Foundation site for more
information.
e. Add the following lines at the end of your Apache httpd.conf configuration file:
]>ProxyPass /helpdesk http://localhost:8081/helpdeskProxyPassReverse
/helpdesk http://localhost:8081/helpdesk
f. Save the file.
When completed, the application will appear as if it is running on port 80.
5. Restart your Apache server.

DISABLE IIS
Web Help Desk does not integrate with IIS. Web Help Desk runs on port 8081 by default. To run Web Help
Desk on port 80, disable IIS on your Windows Server system.

Additionally, if your system is connected to multiple IP addresses and one IP address uses IIS, bind IIS and
Web Help Desk to separate the IP addresses.

DISABLE IIS ON WINDOWS SERVER SYSTEMS

You can disable IIS on Windows Server 2008 systems.

DISABLE IIS ON WINDOWS SERVER 2008 SYSTEMS

To run Web Help Desk on port 80 and disable IIS on Windows Server 2008:

1. Stop Web Help Desk.

2. Go to Startup > Administrative Services > Server Manager.
3. Click Roles.
4. Select IIS, and then click WHD.
5. Click Confirm.
6. Open the following file:
\Program Files\Web Help Desk\conf\whd.conf
7. Set the DEFAULT_PORT setting to the following:
DEFAULT_PORT= 80
8. Save the following file:
\Program Files\Web Help Desk\conf\whd.conf
9. Start Web Help Desk.

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BIND IIS TO A WINDOWS INTERFACE
To specify or Web Help Desk, edit the \Program Files\WebHelpDesk\conf\whd.conf file and set the
IP_ADDRESS option to the desired IP address.

BIND IIS TO AN INTERFACE ON WINDOWS SERVER 2008

1. Log on with the local Administrator account.

2. Open a command prompt window.
3. Execute the following command:
netsh http add iplisten ipaddress= xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
4. To check your settings, enter:
netsh show iplisten
5. Restart IIS.

Set up email
You can set up your email options, templates, and incoming and outgoing mail accounts at Setup > E-Mail.
Web Help Desk supports multiple accounts for receiving and sending email.

Each incoming mail account is associated with a specific request type and an optional tech group.
Incoming mail accounts are checked each minute for new messages. Web Help Desk processes each
message, turns the messages into tickets, and then deletes the messages from the incoming mail server.
Each incoming mail account is associated with an outgoing mail account (SMTP server) used to deliver
outgoing mail.

You can define custom greetings in templates associated with a specific status type and an optional
request type. You can personalize these templates using tags that provide placeholders for parameters,
such as last name, first name, and ticket number.

SIMPLIFY EMAIL MANAGEMENT – OPTIONS

You can simplify incoming mail processing by configuring the E-Mail Options screen located at Setup > E-
Mail > Options. In the screen, you can configure Web Help Desk to accept email from unknown senders in
your client domains or define and maintain lists of each email recipient for each client. The screen also
includes options for restricting email formats, senders, and contents.

1. Click Setup and select E-Mail > Options.

2. Locate the Incoming Mail section.
3. In the Create Accounts for Unrecognized Senders row, select Only if e-mail matches an Accepted
Domain.
4. In the Accepted Domains field, enter the domain names for your clients, separating each domain
name by a comma and then a space.
5. Click Save.

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The Incoming Mail section provides additional options to filter e-mail. Using the Ignored Senders fields,
you can deny email from senders who may be sending SPAM or other unwanted email. The Regular
Expression Filters fields allow you to filter out email, based on specific criteria for the subject, body,
content, or attachments. Click the tooltips next to each option for more information about using these
filters.

Review the remaining options settings and make any changes required for your email environment.

Click the tooltips for more information.

CONFIGURE AN OUTGOING EMAIL ACCOUNT

You can define your SMTP server(s) and help desk email address in the Outgoing Mail Options section of
the E-Mail Options screen.

Be sure to delete the sample outgoing server that was installed by default. The sample server may
interfere with your SMTP server.

1. Click Setup and select E-Mail Outgoing Mail Accounts.

2. Click New.
3. In the SMTP Server field, enter the IP address of your SMTP server. Use port 25 unless your server
uses something other than the default port.
A green indicator indicates a connection exists to your SMTP server.
A red indicator indicates a failure to connect to the SMTP server.

4. Complete the remaining fields and selections as required.

Click the tooltips for more information.
5. Click Save.

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CONFIGURE AN INCOMING EMAIL ACCOUNT
You can define the requirements for accepting email and initiating some of the automated email
processes in the Incoming E-mail Accounts screen.

1. Click Setup and select E-Mail > Options.

2. Click New.
3. Select Enable E-Mail Tickets to enable Web Help Desk to create tickets from the email address in step
4.

4. In the E-Mail Address field, enter the email address used by Web Help Desk to create new tickets.
5. In the Account Type field, select the email protocol used to access the email account.
If you select Exchange or Office 365, verify that Exchange Web Services is enabled on the
Microsoft Exchange server. If the Exchange server does not support this service, enable the
IMAP or POP3 protocol on the server.

6. Select the Compatibility Mode check box if you want to enable Web Help Desk to download the full
email from the email server rather than specific parts of the email.
SolarWinds recommends leaving this check box blank.

7. In the Incoming Mail Server field, enter the email account used to send email to clients.
8. Click the Tech Group drop-down menu and select the tech group that filters the incoming email.

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9. Click the Request Type drop-down menu and select the request type that is assigned to tickets
created from all incoming email.
Ensure that the request type is supported by the selected tech group.

10. Leave the Allow Auto-submitted E-Mail check box and Advanced E-Mail Properties field blank. If your
email server fails incoming email tests, you can use these options for troubleshooting.
Click the tooltips for more information.
11. Click Save.

APPLY YOUR EMAIL TEMPLATES

Email templates create reusable text for outgoing and incoming email from data in Web Help Desk tickets.
These templates implement tags (such as first name, last name, and ticket number) to pull information
from tickets into emails.

See Apply tags in email templates for a complete list of tags.

You can apply email templates and tags that automate your email processes, such as:

l Ticket update emails

l Ticket approval and disapproval emails
l Action rule emails
l Other general emails that require information from tickets

You can use the built-in templates included with Web Help Desk or you can create your own custom
templates.

BUILT-IN EMAIL TEMPLATES

Web Help Desk includes ready-to-use, built-in email templates for ticket-related outgoing and incoming
emails. You can use these templates or customize them to fulfill your needs.

For information about using built-in templates, see Edit built-in email templates.

OUTGOING EMAIL TEMPLATES

The following table lists the outgoing email templates included with Web Help Desk.

TEMPLATE DESCRIPTION

SMS Message Creates the body portion of all SMS messages.

New Account Message Creates the message sent to a client when you create their Web
Help Desk account.

Validate Email Message - New Creates the message sent to clients when they create a new
Account account.

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TEMPLATE DESCRIPTION

To enable this template, the Require E-Mail Validation check box

must be selected in the Client Options screen at Setup > Clients >
Options.

Validate Email Message - Existing Creates the message sent to clients when they change their email
Account address on an existing account.

The Require E-Mail Validation check box must be selected in the

Client Options screen at Setup > Clients > Options to enable this
template.

Reset/Forgot Password Message Creates the message sent to clients when they click Forgot
Password on the login screen or a tech clicks Reset Password in
the Client Info panel for a specific client.

To enable this template, the Require E-Mail Validation check box

must be selected in the Client Options screen at Setup > Clients >
Options.

Unrecognized E-mail Reply Creates the plain-text reply to Web Help Desk email that does not
match a Client or Tech account.

To enable this template, the Client Can Create Account setting

must be set to No or Only if Client's e-mail matches an Accepted
Domain in the Client Options screen at Setup > Clients > Options.

Unauthorized Update E-mail Reply Creates the plain-text reply to email from a Tech who is not
authorized to change the status of a ticket.

Techs are not authorized if they are not an admin or their

assigned tech permission located at Setup > Tech > Tech
Permissions is not configured appropriately.

Unauthorized Status Change E-mail Creates the plain-text reply to email from a Tech or Client not
Reply authorized to change the status of a ticket.

Techs are not authorized if they are not an admin or their

assigned tech permission configured at Setup > Tech > Tech
Permissions is not configured appropriately.

E-mail Reply for Status Change Creates the plain-text reply to an email from a Tech for a ticket
Request on Tickets Pending that is pending Approval.
Approval
The ticket must be approved before a status change is allowed.

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TEMPLATE DESCRIPTION

Disabled Account Reply Creates the plain-text reply to an email from a client whose
Location is disabled.

Web Help Desk also uses this template if the Require E-Mail
Validation check box is selected in the Client Options screen at
Setup > Clients > Options but clients are not authenticated with
their e-mail address.

Approved Ticket Greeting Creates the message greeting in response to tickets that
completed the final Approval step (if approvals are required for
the ticket request type).

To enable this template, the E-Mail Client On: Approval check box
must be selected for the appropriate approval process at Setup
> Processes > Approval Processes.

Denied Ticket Greeting Creates the message greeting in response to tickets that were
denied (if approvals are required for the ticket request type)
during the approval process.

To enable this template, the E-Mail Client On: Denial check box
must be selected for the appropriate approval process at Setup
> Processes > Approval Processes.

Default Ticket Greeting Creates the message greeting in response to tickets where the
Status Type and Request Type do not match any other configured
template.

Overdue Assets Message Creates the message greeting in response to clients with one or
more checked-out assets that are overdue.

Approval Request Greeting Creates the message greeting for ticket approval requests.

You can override this greeting by configuring the appropriate

approval process located at Setup > Process > Approval Processes.

Closed Ticket Greeting Creates the message greeting when tickets are closed.

Open Ticket Greeting Creates the message greeting when tickets are opened.

Resolved Ticket Greeting Creates the message greeting when tickets are resolved.

INCOMING EMAIL TEMPLATES

The following table lists the incoming email templates included with Web Help Desk.

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 TEMPLATE DESCRIPTION

Message Body When Adding a Creates the default message for email opened by clicking the Add
Client Note Note action link in an email from Web Help Desk.

This setting only addresses client email.

Message Body When Canceling a The default message for email opened by clicking the Cancel
Ticket Ticket action link from an email sent by Web Help Desk.

This setting only addresses client email.

Message Body When Confirming a Creates the default message for email opened by clicking the Yes
Resolved Ticket action link in a Web Help Desk email sent when a Ticket status is
changed to Resolved.

This setting only addresses client e-mail.

Message Body When Rejecting a Creates the default message for email opened by clicking the No
Resolved Ticket action link in a Web Help Desk email sent when a Ticket status is
changed to Resolved.

This setting only addresses client email.

Message Body When Voting to Creates the default message for email opened by clicking the Yes
Approve a Ticket action link in a ticket-approval email from Web Help Desk.

This setting only addresses client email.

Message Body When Voting Not to The default message that appears in a new email opened by
Approve a Ticket clicking the No action link in a ticket-approval email.

This setting only addresses client email.

Built-in templates can be edited but cannot be deleted.

You can also define custom email templates associated with a specific status type and a request type.

TEMPLATE LAYOUT
Each built-in template includes a detailed description of its purpose and the text and tags included with
the template.

Below is an example of a typical email template configuration page for SMS messages.

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EDIT BUILT-IN EMAIL TEMPLATES

Built-in templates are pre-configured and ready to use for your Web Help Desk deployment. You can
modify the tags and text in the templates so your Web Help Desk installation is able to send custom
emails.

If you need to modify a built-in template, you can:

l Modify the information that appears in the resulting email by moving, adding, or removing the text
and tags available for that template. See Apply email tags for a complete list of tags available for all
email templates.
l Add a language other than standard English.
l Apply an email footer you have already defined in Setup > Email > Options.

The following procedure describes how to customize an outgoing built-in template called Unrecognized E-
Mail Reply. Web Help Desk uses this template to send replies received from clients who submitted a
request using an unrecognized email address. The goal for this example is to have the resulting emails
reflect the actual name of the help desk.

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 1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Email > Templates.
2. Select the Outgoing Mail tab.

3. In the E-mail Template column select Unrecognized E-mail Reply.

4. In the Subject field, change:
ERROR: Your support request could not be processed.
to
<helpdesk_name> cannot process your request.

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5. In the Template field, change the existing default message:

We're sorry. Your e-mail address was not recognized by the help desk, so
your request for support could not be submitted.
to
We're sorry. <helpdesk_name> does not recognize your email address and
cannot process your request.

6. Click Save.

CREATE NEW EMAIL TEMPLATES

The following procedure describes how to create a new outgoing template for emails that Web Help Desk
sends to clients who opened accepted trouble tickets.

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 1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Email > Templates.
2. Select the Outgoing tab.
3. Click New to open a blank template.

4. In the Name field, enter a name for the template.

For example:
Open Ticket Acknowlegment
5. In the optional Description field, enter a description that indicates when your help desk personnel
should apply this template. Explain the purpose and reason for using this template.
For example,
Use this template for emails sent to clients who opened tickets requiring
IT support only - no HR or Facilities requests.

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6. In the Template field, enter the customer correspondence to include in the email.
Because the purpose of this template is to acknowledge that the client's new ticket is being
addressed in your help desk system, include information such as:
l Client name or login ID
l Ticket number
l Help Desk name
l Help Desk contact person (such as a tech or admin)
l How the client can obtain their ticket status

You can automate most of this information using tags, which act as placeholders for information
available in your tickets. The blue box at the bottom of the Template field labeled Tags offers a
partial list of tags you can use.
See Apply tags in email templates for a complete list of available tags.
Below is an example of your completed email template.

7. In the Status Type field, select Open.

Selecting Open addresses an email that is sent when a ticket is opened. If Open is not
displayed in the drop-down list, another email template might be assigned to this status type.

8. In the Request Types field, select Specific.

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 9. Select the appropriate request types.
Web Help Desk includes the following request types:
l Email or Outlook
l Facilities
l Hardware
l HR
l IT General or Other
l Network
l Phone or Voicemail
l Printer or Toner
l User Administration
To enable the template to apply to all open ticket greeting emails, select All. The template is
applied to all default and custom-created request types.

10. (Optional) Select the Use Email Footer check box to include the footer as defined in Setup > E-Mail >
Options > E-Mail Footer, with this template.
When completed, your template is configured with your new selections, as shown below.

11. Click Save.

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12. Skip the Other Languages field if you are creating a template in United States English.
If your client requires emails in another language, click Add to select the client's language and then
design your template. When you finish, click Save.
The option lists more than 100 languages, including variants of English and other languages.

APPLY YOUR TAGS IN EMAIL TEMPLATES

Tags are placeholders in email templates that auto-populate emails with ticket information for general,
approval and disapproval, and action rule emails. Web Help Desk replaces these placeholders with their
proper values (based on values in client tickets) once the email is generated. The tickets contain
information types defined in the Setup pages for areas such as tickets, clients, techs, and processes.

The following table provides a list of tags for any type of Web Help Desk email template. Because these
tags are hard coded into Web Help Desk, they cannot be edited.

When you add tags to an email template, use the tag syntax as it is shown in the table below. The
content (such as tech, email, and client) must be entered between right and left facing angle
brackets (such as <client>).

TAG INFORMATION PULLED FROM TICKET

<ticket_url> The URL where the ticket resides.

<login_url> The URL for logging in to access a ticket.

<ticket_ID> The Web Help Desk ticket ID number.

<request_type> The ticket request type. A request type defines the trouble area. For
example, Email/Outlook, Network, Printer/Toner, or User
Administration.

<status_type> The ticket status indicating the ticket's state of completion. The ticket
status can be Open, Closed, Pending, Canceled, or Resolved.

<priority_type> The ticket priority type that determines the ticket due date. The
default priorities include Urgent, High, Medium, and Low.

<client> The client's first and last name.

<client_short> The abbreviated version of the client name. Use this tag to minimize
space, such as in lists.

<client_phone> The phone number of the client who submitted the ticket.

<client_email> The email address of the client who submitted the ticket.

<assigned _to> The name of the tech assigned to the ticket.

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 TAG INFORMATION PULLED FROM TICKET

<assigned_to_short> The abbreviated version of the tech name assigned to the ticket.

<tech> The tech's first and last name.

<tech_short> The abbreviated version of the tech's name. Use this tag to minimize
space, such as in lists.

<tech_phone> The tech's phone number.

<tech_email> The tech's email address.

<room> The room where an asset is located.

<company> The company associated with the ticket.

<location> The Location of an asset in a ticket.

<subject> The subject of the ticket.

<report> The request detail information.

<due_datetime> The estimated ticket completion date and time.

<scheduled_worktime> The scheduled date and time to complete work on the ticket.

<worktime> The time spent working on the ticket.

<first_initial> The first letter of the client's first name.

<last_name> The client's last name.

<last_initial> The first letter of the client's last name.

<email> The client's email address.

<last_name> The client's last name.

<helpdesk_contact_info> The Web Help Desk contact information.

<helpdesk_name> The name of the help desk installation.

<custom_x> The ticket custom field, where x represents a custom field ID.

See Apply email templates for information about using tags in templates.

Set up tickets
Clients and techs create tickets, either through the Web Help Desk user interface or through email, and
use tickets to correspond to each other.

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The Tickets tab in the left menu defines ticketing functions, such as how tickets are generated, routed,
updated, and closed. These functions include:

l Configure ticket options

l Define request types
l Define status types
l Set priority types and alerts
l Create custom fields for tickets
l Create tasks

When a client or tech creates a ticket, they select a request type that determines which custom fields
display on the ticket and which techs can be assigned to it. The request type also determines how the
ticket is routed to a tech.

Each ticket is assigned a status and a priority. The status indicates the ticket's stage of completion (for
example, Open, Acknowledged, Resolved, or Closed) and determines whether time should be counted
against the ticket while in that stage.

The priority determines the ticket due date. Each priority can be configured with three alert levels to warn
techs when a ticket needs attention.

Tasks facilitate how tickets are automatically created. A task contains one or more task elements, each of
which provides settings for a new ticket. When the task runs, a ticket is created for each task element,
either sequentially or all at once, depending on how the task has been configured. Tasks can be run
manually or automatically at given intervals.

You can group identical tickets together to troubleshoot and resolve all tickets as one service
request. See parent/child service relationships for more information.

CONFIGURE TICKET OPTIONS

You can configure your ticket contents, generation, and ticket access options on the Options page located
at Setup > Tickets > Options. Web Help Desk categorizes all ticket options into three areas:

l General Options
l Client Options
l Tech Options

To configure your ticket options:

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 1. In the toolbar, click Setup.
2. Select Tickets > Options.
3. On the Tickets Options page, review and update settings in the General Options section. See the
tooltips for information about each option.

4. Review and update settings in the Client Options section, including how clients can create tickets
and who can update the priority.

5. Review and update settings in the Tech Options section.

6. Click Save.

DEFINE REQUEST TYPES

Request types are used to categorize tickets. The request type definition specifies which users can create
this type of ticket and what fields are included on the ticket.

Define the types of tickets your help desk services support in the Request Types screen. Request types
define what type of issue the customer is experiencing and what action needs to be taken. When a user
opens a ticket, they must choose a request type.

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Request types can be defined as parent and child types. For example, when a user requests a password
reset, you can configure the parent type as IT Software Assistance and the child type as Password Reset.

To begin, build your parent types first and then add your corresponding child types. If you build a child
type before you build the parent type, you cannot set the child type as a child.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Tickets > Request Types.
The Request Types window displays current request types.
2. Click New.
3. Enter a name to identify this request type.

4. To create a nested request type, select the parent type. Optionally, click to copy values for the
remaining fields from the parent type.
To create a top-level request type, leave this field blank.

5. Select the tech group that will handle this type of request.
If the tech group has not been defined, leave this field blank. You can map the request type to a tech
group when you define the tech group.

6. Specify the default priority and whether fields are hidden or required.

7. In the Detailed Instructions field, enter additional information to be displayed on the ticket. For
example, you can provide specific instructions for creating this type of ticket, or explain the request
type's purpose so a client can choose the correct type.
You can apply BBCode formatting to format lists, add emphasis, or include links to supporting
information. See Customize tickets, notes, instructions, and emails with BBCode for details.

8. Specify whether this type of ticket is listed in the menu displayed to clients. Clear this option for
types that are selected only by techs (for example, a request type used by techs to schedule an
equipment maintenance window).

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 9. Specify whether the user will be prompted to select an asset or model when they create this type of
ticket.

10. Optionally, restrict this ticket type to specific companies, locations, or departments. Only clients or
techs associated with your selections will see this request type. For example, if the request type will
be routed to a facilities maintenance group for a specific location, restrict the type to that location.

11. If an approval process should be automatically initiated when a ticket is saved with this request
type, select the approval process. (Alternatively, you can associate a request type with an approval
process when you create the approval process.)
12. To include custom fields on this type of ticket, specify which fields to include.
13. Specify whether clients can attach files to this type of ticket, and whether this request type is
available as a category when techs create an FAQ.
The Attachments Enabled option does not affect whether techs can attach files.

14. Identify the tech who will receive the highest level escalation (after the tech group manager).
15. Select the survey that is sent to clients when this type of ticket is closed, or select None to disable
surveys for this ticket type.

16. Click Save.

DEFINE STATUS TYPES

Each ticket is assigned a status from the available status types. The following status types are predefined:

l Open
l Closed
l Canceled
l Resolved

To enable Change Access Board (CAB) features, add Pending Approval, Approved, and Denied status types.

Adding these status types is not necessary if you do not use a CAB Process. SolarWinds
recommends adding these status types in case you need to enable the CAB feature at a later date.

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1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Tickets > Status Types.
2. Click New.
3. In the Name field enter:
Denied

4. In the Description field enter:

CAB Status Type

5. Click Alerts Enabled.

6. Click Client Reminders, and then click Save.
7. Repeat steps 1 through 6 above to add the Approved and Approval Pending Status types.

After adding the above status types, set the Status Types Options to allow the CAB features.

SET THE STATUS TYPE OPTIONS FOR THE CAB FEATURE

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Tickets > Status Types.
2. Click the Options tab.
3. Click the Needs Approval Status Type drop-down menu and select Pending.
4. Click the Approved Status Type drop-down menu and select Approved.
5. Click the Approved Denied Status Type drop-down menu and select Denied.
6. Review the remaining selections and verify they are correct.
7. Click Save.

CREATE A PRIORITY TYPE

You can use Web Help Desk to automate ticket workflows. For example, you can automatically change a
ticket's priority type.

In the following example, a Critical priority type is created. In the next topic, the Critical priority type will be
used in an action rule that changes all tickets submitted by the CEO to Critical.

1. Click Setup.
2. Select Tickets > Priority Types and Alerts.

3. Click New.
4. Enter a name, and select a display order and color.

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 5. (Optional) In the Due Time field, select the time when tickets with this priority should be closed.
6. (Optional) In the Client Reminder Interval field, select the amount of time to elapse before sending
(or resending) a reminder to clients.
7. (Optional) In the Alert Repeat Interval field, select the amount of time between reminders to trigger
an alert.
8. Click Save.

9. (Optional) In the Alert Level rows, set the conditions (such as time interval, criteria, and email
recipients) for each Alert Level, beginning with Alert Level 1 and ending with Alert Level 3.

CREATE CUSTOM TICKET FIELDS

Use the Ticket Custom Fields screen to create custom tickets fields.

Below is an example of the Ticket Custom Fields screen.

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1. Click Setup.
2. Select Tickets > Ticket Custom Fields.
3. Click New.
The Ticket Custom Fields screen displays the default values for a new custom field.
4. Enter a label to identify this field.

5. In the Display Order drop-down menu, select this field's position within the Custom Fields section
of a ticket.
6. In the Clients and Techs sections, specify whether each group can see or edit the custom field.
Techs with admin accounts can edit all custom fields.

7. Select the Type of input this field will accept.

The remaining fields change based on your selection.

8. Complete the remaining fields. Point to any field name to display information.

9. Click Save.
The Request Types field and an Edit link is displayed on the Ticket Custom Fields screen.

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 10. Specify which request types apply to this custom field. Only tickets with the selected request type
will display this field.
a. Click the Edit link. A new tab displays a list of request types.
b. Select one or more request types. To display the custom field on all tickets, click Select All
below the list.

c. Click Done to close the tab.

11. Click Save.

CREATE TASKS
Web Help Desk uses tasks to create tickets. A task contains one or more task elements, and each task
element provides settings for a new ticket. When the task runs, Web Help Desk creates a ticket for each
task element, either sequentially or all at once, depending on the configured task. Tasks can run manually
or automatically, at given intervals or based on specific criteria, depending on how you configure them.
Tasks are especially useful for handling repetitive processes.

For example, if your HR department has a set of routine onboarding tasks to complete for a new employee,
you can create a task called New Employee and define each task element required to help a new employee
get started in their new position.

Related tasks can include:

l Completing tax and insurance forms

l Accessing network resources
l Configuring a new computer system
l Installing and configuring corporate and department-specific software

You can trigger a new task when required—for example, when you on-board a new employee. When you
run the task, Web Help Desk generates a ticket for each task element. These tickets can be assigned to
techs, who ensure each task element is completed.

You can create action rules that automatically trigger your tasks. See Automating parent/child
tickets for more information.

To create a new task:

1. Access the task screen.

2. Create a new task.
3. Add new task elements.
4. Create new tickets from task elements.

ACCESS THE TASK SCREEN

You can access the task screen by clicking Setup and selecting Tickets > Tasks.

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The following screen displays.

When you create a new task, the task displays in this screen.

CREATE A NEW TASK

To create a new task, click New. The Task Info screen displays.

To create a new task:

1. In the Task Name field, enter a name for the task.

For example:
New Employee
2. (Optional) If this task pertains to a specific employee, search for the appropriate client in the Client
Lookup box fields and assign a client to the task.
Otherwise, leave this box blank.
3. Select the Scheduled check box to schedule this task to run at a specific time interval. Otherwise,
leave this check box unchecked.
4. Select the Shared check box to share this task with other users.
Selecting this check box will also make the task available as an action rule and be visible to other
techs.

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 5. Click Save.
A message displays stating that the task was created successfully. The Task Elements and History
tabs appear in the screen.

ADD NEW TASK ELEMENTS

To add new task elements, click Task Elements. In the initial screen, click New. The Task Elements tab
screen displays, as shown below.

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To create new task elements:

1. Click the Element Order drop-down menu and select 1 so this task element runs first.
2. (Optional) Select the Link to Parent check box to link this task to a parent ticket and automate
parent/child ticket creation.
When selected, the task element is inherited from the parent ticket.
3. Select the appropriate selections for Location, Room, and Department.
4. Click the Request Type drop-down menus and select the appropriate request type.
For example, for new hire tasks, select HR.
5. In the Subject field, enter a name for this element.
For example, to configure a new computer system for a new hire, you can enter Configure a new
computer system.
6. In the Request Detail field, enter a description for the element.
For example:
Configure a new computer system with Microsoft Office and all required
corporate software.
7. In the Tech drop-down menu, select a specific tech for this element (if required).
8. In the Priority drop-down menu, select the appropriate priority for this element.
9. In the Asset No. field, enter an asset number (if required).
10. In the Generate Next Element field, select On Creation to trigger the next element immediately after
the ticket for this element is created.
Otherwise, you can select When Status Equals and select the appropriate selection to trigger the
next element.
11. Click Save.
When completed, the Task Elements tab lists a summary of your task.

After you create your first task elements, add additional elements to create new task elements for
your task. For example, for the New Employee task, you can create new elements to create an email
account, assign a specific desk in a building, and enroll the employee in on-site new hire classes.

CREATE NEW TICKETS FROM TASK ELEMENTS

To create tickets from task elements, click the Task Info tab, Select a task, and click the arrow next to the
Task Name field.

To select another task, click the left and right arrows at the top right to scroll through all available tasks.

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After you execute a task, click Tickets and verify that the task created the appropriate tickets. For example,
when you click the Green arrow in the example above, Web Help Desk creates a new ticket for the task.

Define your techs

Techs are users who resolve Web Help Desk tickets. Permissions specify which tickets a tech can access
and what actions the tech can perform.

Tech permissions are determined by:

l The type of tech account

l The set of permissions granted to the tech account

Web Help Desk provides two account types for techs:

l The Admin account type provides unlimited access to all Web Help Desk functionality. All
permissions are granted to admins.
l The Tech account type allows limited access to Web Help Desk functionality based on the tech's
permissions.

Use the Techs tab in Setup to assign your techs to specific support areas, such as Locations & Departments
and Clients. When completed, Web Help Desk will automatically assign tickets to the appropriate tech
based on your selections, such as Tech Group, Locations & Departments, and Assets.

CREATE TECH ACCOUNTS

Each tech who will log in to Web Help Desk must have an account. You can use the Techs page to define
the techs that will log in to Web Help Desk. For each tech, you can define their work schedule, location,
associated tech group, and business zone.

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Beginning in Web Help Desk 12.5.2, all techs who use LDAP authentication must have a Client
account to access their Tech account. This process prevents unauthorized access to an LDAP
account.

When you create a non-admin tech account, you must specify the tech's supervisor. As a result,
SolarWinds recommends creating the supervisors' accounts first.

The Tech Name column includes a list of a techs in your tech group. Some tech names may include the
following icons indicating their availability status.

INDICATOR STATUS DESCRIPTION

[C] Concurrent The tech is assigned to a concurrent license.

[D] Deleted The tech account was deleted.

[I] Inactive The tech account is inactive.

[S] Not on schedule The tech has a specific work schedule outside the assigned
business zone.

[V] Vacation The tech is on vacation.

You can configure all statuses except Concurrent in the Scheduling Setup section of each tech account. If
the tech is assigned to a Concurrent license, the tech must wait for an available license to use Web Help
Desk.

SolarWinds recommends creating the supervisor before creating the techs who report to that supervisor.
Using this method, you can assign a supervisor to each tech as you create the tech.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Techs > Techs.

2. Click New.
3. Enter the tech's name, Web Help Desk credentials, and contact information. All bold fields are
required.
For more information about any field, see the tooltips.

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 4. Specify the account type. For tech accounts, specify the tech's permissions and supervisor.
A supervisor is required for tech accounts, but optional for admin accounts.

5. To enable the tech to access the Web Help Desk client interface, link the tech to a client account.

When the tech account is linked to a client account, the Switch to Client Account icon is available
in the upper-right corner. The tech can click this button to display the interface exactly as the
selected client sees it.
Tech accounts can be linked to actual client accounts or a demo client account. If you link to a
demo client account with the same user name as the tech, a message warns you that the
client won't be able to log in except as a tech linked to the client account. Because that is the
intent, you can ignore the message.

When you are linked to a client account, the My Approvals tab displays in the Ticket Details
tab. This allows you to approve one or more processes in the Tech interface without switching
to the Client interface.

6. Specify the number of notes and history entries to display on a ticket. Additional entries will be
collapsed by default.
7. In the Asset Setup section, select the technologies that this tech can use to connect remotely to an
asset.
The Assets > Options configuration determines which technologies this section lists.

8. In the E-Mail Setup section, specify the email settings and select the events that generate an email
to this tech.

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9. To prevent Web Help Desk from escalating a ticket to this tech when the tech is not scheduled to
work:
a. Specify the tech's business zone.
b. If the tech's work schedule is different than the default work schedule for that zone, specify
the work schedule.
c. Indicate if the tech is on vacation.
d. Optionally, select a backup tech to receive this tech's escalated tickets.
e. Indicate whether the account is active.

10. Click Save to save your changes.

EDIT THE ADMIN ACCOUNT

Use the My Account page to update your administrator account contact information, including your
identity and setup for tickets, assets, e-mail, and scheduling. This account is the administrator account you
use to log in to Web Help Desk.

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 1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Techs > My Account.
2. Click the pencil to enter edit mode.
3. Add or update your admin account information as needed, then click Save.
Click the tool tips next to each selection for more information.

REQUEST TYPES, TECH GROUPS, AND TICKET ASSIGNMENT

Request types and tech groups work together to determine how tickets are routed through Web Help Desk
and assigned to techs.

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REQUEST TYPES
Web Help Desk uses request types to categorize and route help desk tickets. They define the basic
structure of your help desk system. Users cannot submit a ticket without a defined request type.

Request types are used to:

l Route tickets to the appropriate tech group or lead tech

l Specify which custom fields a ticket includes
l Initiate an approval process, if needed
l Facilitate reporting
l Configure workflows and action rules
l Display related FAQs to clients

Web Help Desk provides several default request types, but you can define a set of request types that meet
your organization's needs.

TECH GROUPS
You can define groups of techs with similar skills and technical expertise, and then map these groups to
the request types they will service. A tech group can include multiple levels, so that complex or difficult
tickets can be escalated to more experienced techs.

Tech groups are optional. Small organizations with just a few techs probably don't need to define tech
groups. Without tech groups, each ticket is assigned to the lead tech for the ticket's request type.

Larger organizations can use tech groups to automatically route tickets to techs with the required skill set.
Web Help Desk can assign tickets to group members using a load-balancing or round-robin algorithm, or
you can route all tickets to the group manager or lead tech for manual assignment.

TICKET ASSIGNMENT LOGIC

The following diagram shows the logic used by Web Help Desk to assign tickets. Some steps in this process
include corresponding paths in the Web Help Desk user interface where you can implement any needed
changes.

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DEFINE TECH GROUPS

All current tech groups appear in the Tech Groups screen located at Setup > Techs > Tech Groups.

In this screen, you can:

l Create a tech group

l Define tech group levels for Orion platform alerts
l Assign tech group levels
l Assign supported request types

CREATE A TECH GROUP

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Techs > Tech Groups.
2. Click New.
The Tech Group Info page opens.
3. Enter a name to identify the tech group.

4. Select the group's manager.

5. If tickets should be assigned to the manager of the location group associated with the ticket (instead
of the tech group manager), select When a Ticket's Location.

Tickets are assigned to a group manager when auto-assignment is not enabled on the Tech

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 Group Levels tab, or when auto-assignment is enabled but no techs in the group are available.

6. Click Save.

DEFINE TECH GROUP LEVELS FOR ORION PLATFORM ALERTS

If your Web Help Desk deployment is connected to a SolarWinds Integration connection (such as the
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor) to receive Orion Platform alert tickets, configure a tech group
level to receive and process these tickets.

Web Help Desk channels all incoming tickets to a preselected tech level based on their location and
department information. Since Orion Platform alert tickets do not include this information, they are
channeled to the tech group manager by default.

To ensure all Orion Platform alert tickets are processed correctly, click the Tech Groups Level tab for your
selected tech group level and select the Ignore Location and Department check box. When Web Help Desk
receives incoming Orion Platform alert tickets from your SolarWinds Integration connection, these tickets
will be load balanced between all techs in the selected group level.

CONFIGURE TECH GROUP LEVELS

Group level options specify how tickets are assigned and which techs are members of that level. At least
one level must be configured for each group. Add multiple levels if you want to be able to escalate tickets
to more experienced techs.

If you configure multiple levels, all new tickets are initially assigned to techs in Level 1. Techs in
higher levels receive tickets only if they are escalated.

1. Click the Tech Group Levels tab.

2. Click an existing level to open it, or click Add Level to add a new level.

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3. Specify how Web Help Desk will assign tickets for this level.
a. Select the type of tech Web Help Desk will assign tickets to.
None Tickets are not automatically assigned to individuals, but belong to
the group level.

A Level Tech Each ticket is assigned to a tech in this level based on the tech's
availability.

Group Manager or All tickets are assigned to the manager or lead tech, who then
Lead Tech reassign them to techs.

b. If you selected A Level Tech, select the assignment algorithm:

l Load Balancing assigns each ticket to the tech with the smallest backlog (the lowest
number of assigned tickets).
l Round Robin assigns tickets sequentially to all techs in the level, regardless of the tech's
current backlog.

4. Select the Ignore Location and Department check box only for level groups assigned to receive e-
mail notifications for tickets created from SolarWinds Orion Platform alerts.
5. In the Force E-Mail Notification To row, select who receives email notifications when a ticket is
created or updated by the REST API or a SolarWinds alert, or updated by a client. These
notifications are sent regardless of the email options selected for each tech account.
6. In the Default Selected E-Mail Recipients row, specify who is selected by default to receive an email
when a tech clicks Save and E-Mail in a customer ticket.
7. Select the techs assigned to this level.

8. Click Save.

ASSIGN SUPPORTED REQUEST TYPES

1. Click the Request Types Supported tab.

The tab displays the request types assigned to this tech group.
2. Click Edit.
The tab displays all request types not assigned to any tech group.

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 3. Select one or more Request Types for this group to receive.

4. Click Save.

Repeat the procedures above as needed to assign tech group levels and supported request types to each
tech group.

DEFINE TECH PERMISSIONS

Permissions determine which tickets techs can access and which actions they can perform. Web Help Desk
includes default admin and tech permissions, but you can define other permissions that correspond to
roles within your organization.

Check out this video (6:23) on defining tech permissions.

If your organization is implementing knowledge centered support, consider including the Approved
FAQ Edit permission in the Default tech permission set. Granting this permission allows tech to
update or correct FAQs as needed.

A named set of permissions is granted to each non-admin tech account. Web Help Desk provides a default
set of tech permissions. You can edit the default permissions to meet your organization's needs.

You can also define other permission sets for specific roles within your organization. For example, you can
define a permission set for senior techs to give them additional access (but not the unlimited access of an
admin). Another permission set can be assigned to junior techs to restrict their access.

CREATE A NEW TECH PERMISSION SET

This example creates a new permission set called Senior Tech. Techs with this permission set can edit the
Due Date and Request Detail fields on a ticket. They can also edit approved FAQs and approve new FAQs.

1. Click Setup and select Techs > Tech Permissions.

2. Click New.
3. In the Permissions tab, enter a name to identify the permission.

4. In Location Permissions, specify whether ticket access is restricted based on the company, location
group, department group, or tech group a tech is assigned to.
The tooltips provide more information about each permission.

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5. In Ticket Permissions, define what actions a tech can perform within a ticket.

6. In Client Permissions, specify whether a tech can edit, delete, import, or download clients.
7. In Asset Permissions, specify whether a tech can view and edit assets and associated elements.
8. In Other Permissions, define the options that enable techs to edit locations, manage parts, edit and
import FAQs, work with reports and surveys, view hourly billing rates, and create and edit new and
existing FAQs for all categories.

9. Click Save.

ASSIGN TECHS TO A PERMISSION SET

After defining the permissions, assign techs to the permission set. Each tech can be assigned to only one
permission set. When you assign a tech to a new permission set, the tech is automatically removed from
the previous permission set. In the following example, assigning Richard Acevedo to the Senior Tech
permission set automatically removes him from the Default permission set.

1. From the tech permissions page, click the Assigned Techs tab.
2. Select the techs who will have these permissions.

3. Click Save.

DEFINE THE TECH GROUP EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS

You can enable WHD to send an email notification to a tech, level techs, or a group manager when a new
ticket is created. This notification is sent to one or more recipients when:

l A client creates or updates a ticket using the client user interface or email
l A new ticket is created or updated using the REST API
l A new ticket is created or updated from a SolarWinds Integration alert

All selected recipients receive email notifications regardless of their individual tech preferences for email
notifications.

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 1. Click Setup and select Techs > Tech Groups.
2. Click a group in the Group Name column that will receive email alerts when a new ticket is opened.
3. Click the Tech Group Levels tab.
4. Select a tech group level in the Level column.

5. In the Force E-Mail Notification To row, select the people who receive an email notification.

If you select Level Techs, the email is filtered by Location Group and Department Group membership.
If the ticket has no Location Group or Department Group or the Ignore Location and Department
check box is selected in the level, then all level members receive an email notification.

6. Select the Send on Ticket Creation Only check box.

7. Click Save.

DEFINE THE DEFAULT SETTINGS FOR TICKET EMAIL RECIPIENTS

This setting determines which user (based on request type) associated with a ticket will receive an email
when a tech clicks Save & Email in the ticket.

REQUEST TYPE IS NOT ASSIGNED TO A TECH GROUP

1. Click Setup > Tickets > Options > Tech Options.

2. Scroll down to the Tech Options group and locate the Default Setting for Email Recipients (No Tech
Group) option.

3. Select the check box next to the tech or client assigned to receive ticket email notifications.
4. Click Save.

REQUEST TYPE IS ASSIGNED TO A TECH GROUP

1. Click Setup > Techs > Tech Groups.

2. Click the Tech Group Levels tab.
3. Locate the Default Selected E-mail Recipients option.

4. Select the check box next to the user assigned to receive ticket email notifications.
5. Click Save.

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Define the ticket routing processes

Ticket routing processes define when and how to route tickets for certain types of requests, providing a
controlled environment for managing time and cost-sensitive events. This feature enforces your defined
settings, ensuring the right person or team receives the trouble ticket in a timely manner for problem
troubleshooting and resolution.

APPROVERS
You can add client personnel responsible for approving or denying changes, as well as define the process
work flow and requirements. When you create your SolarWindsWeb Help Desk ticket routing processes,
you define your action rules, approver roles, and approval processes.

You can add client personnel responsible for approving or denying changes, as well as define the process
work flow and requirements. When you create your SolarWinds Web Help Desk ticket routing processes,
you define your action rules.

APPROVAL PROCESSES
Web Help Desk supports approval processes to authorize work to proceed for certain request types.
Approval processes consist of multiple approval steps that specify a set of clients, change advisory board,
or a location/department approver who authorizes a ticket so a tech can work on it. Change Advisory
Boards (CABs) comprise a set of clients who authorize approval steps assigned to them.

APPROVER ROLES
Clients with approver roles approve ticket assignments based on the location or department associated
with a given ticket. For example, each location could have a facilities representative and faculty
representative location approver role who must approve requests to get a new printer.

You can configure these roles for each location in the Location Approvers screen located at Setup
> Processes > Location Approvers. If these roles are assigned to an approval process for a Procure Printer
request type, Web Help Desk automatically sends approval requests for this request type to the clients-
assigned approver roles for the ticket location.

CREATE ACTION RULES FOR TICKET PROCESSING

Action rules create customized processes for unique situations. You can create action rules that define
when, what, who, and how issues are approved, tracked, assigned, and handled. Action rules create a
customized process for unique use cases.

Using parent/child service relationships, you can configure your action rules to trigger tasks that automate
your ticket processing.

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ACTION RULE INFO TAB
You can use this tab to add an action rule name so it appears in the Action Rules tab at Setup > Processes
> Action Rules. You can also:

l Enable or disable the action rule.

l Specify the priority level when included with multiple action rules.
l Stop associated rules with a lower priority.
l Trigger the action rule based on a set of criteria.

CRITERIA TAB
You can use this tab to select the conditions that must occur before a ticket triggers the action rule. For
example, to address service requests, issues, or problems initiated by the CEO, you can select Client
> E-mail > Is equal to > CEO@email.com. When the ticket meets this condition, Web Help Desk
triggers the action rule.

ACTION TAB
You can use this tab to select the action that executes when the action rule criteria is met.

The Assign To action assigns the ticket to a specific tech or tech group. If you assign the ticket to a Tech
Group, you can change the assignment algorithm to balance ticket processing during periods of high call
volume. For example, you can select Load Balancing to assign a ticket to a tech within a tech group level
with the least amount of assigned tickets. You can also select Round Robin to reassign the ticket assigned
sequentially to a member of a tech group level. See Load balance action rules for ticket processing for
more information.

The Add Approval Process action assigns the ticket to an approval process that you define at Setup
> Processes > Approval Processes. When the action rule is triggered, the ticket is assigned to your selected
approval process for review. For example, if your company requires approvals for all new corporate assets
(such as new computers or laser printers), you can assign this action to an action rule for all service
requests used for new asset purchases.

The Change Priority action assigns the ticket to a specific status based on the nature of the ticket. For
example, if your CEO contacts the help desk to request an immediate action, you can create an action rule
with Change Priority set to Critical so it jumps to the top of the ticket queue.

The Change Status action changes the ticket status to another status type based on the action rule.

The Run Task action triggers a task that you create in Setup > Tickets > Tasks. For example, you can set up a
task called New Employee with task elements that include request types for HR, Facilities, and IT. These
request types can include task elements for setting up employee health insurance, setting up a work
environment, and purchasing a new computer. When a tech creates a ticket to onboard a new employee,
the assigned action rule triggers the New Employee task.

The Shared check box in the task must be checked to enable an action rule.

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The Modify Ticket action provides options to automatically modify specific information within the ticket,
such as Client & Location, Ticket Details, and Tech Note tabs in the ticket. For example, you can create a
new action that assigns all new employee onboarding tickets to a specific tech or request type.

The Send E-mail action sends an email to one or more specific recipients with a predefined subject and
message to one or more recipients in your organization. For example, when you create a ticket to address a
CEO issue, you can add an action to send an email to the director stating that the ticket is being processed
and will be resolved as quickly as possible.

ADD AN ACTION RULE

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Processes > Action Rules.
2. Click New.

3. Select a priority and enter a rule name.

Only one action rule can be executed at a time. The action rule priority determines the trigger
order of all action rules.

4. Select the Cascade check box to trigger all defined actions for a ticket.
Do not select Cascade to trigger only the highest priority action.
5. Select the rule triggering options to define when and how often Web Help Desk applies the action
rule.

6. Click Criteria.

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 7. Configure the conditions that tickets must match to trigger the action:
l Every condition in the All section must be true. If any condition is false, the action is not
triggered.
Web Help Desk evaluates these conditions using the Boolean AND operator.
l The Any section defines a group of conditions. At least one of these conditions must be true to
trigger the action, but they do not all have to be true.
Web Help Desk evaluates these conditions using the Boolean OR operator.
l If both sections include conditions, all conditions in the All section and at least one condition in
the Any section must be true.
Web Help Desk evaluates the two groups with a Boolean AND operator between the groups:
(all_1 AND all_2) AND (any_1 OR any_2)
l If no conditions are defined in the All section, at least one condition in the Any section must be
true.

8. Click Actions.
9. Specify the action to take when the conditions are met.

10. Click Save.

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LOAD BALANCE ACTION RULES FOR TICKET PROCESSING

To balance ticket processing during periods of high call volume, you can configure action rules to reassign
tickets to assigned techs in another tech group.

When you configure your Action Rule, select one of the following assignment algorithms to avoid ticket
level errors:

l Load Balancing. Reassigns tickets specifically to assigned techs in another tech group with the
least amount of ticket backlog.
l Round Robin. Reassigns tickets sequentially to assigned techs in another tech group.

When completed, the Action Rule will automatically assign tickets that meet the criteria to another tech
group and request type.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Processes > Action Rules.
2. In the Rule Name column, click the action rule you want to modify or click New to create a new Action
Rule.

3. Select the appropriate options on the Action Rule Info tab for your new or existing Action Rule
according to your needs.
If you are creating a new rule, enter a name in the Rule Name field.

4. Click the Criteria tab.

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 5. Select the appropriate criteria according to your needs.

6. Click the Actions tab.

7. Click the Assignment Algorithm drop-down menu and select Load Balancing or Round Robin,
depending on your help desk requirements.

8. Select any additional options on the Actions tab according to your needs.
9. Click Save.

Define the approval processes

You can configure Web Help Desk so tickets associated with specific request types are automatically routed
to individuals for review and approval.

This is useful in situations when you want to manage change, and those changes must be evaluated,
approved, planned, and scheduled. For example, if you need to upgrade your Windows file server, you can
configure a process that routes the request to one or more people for review and approval.

Due to the complexity of a system upgrade project, an approval process can help control the project and
communicate to concerned parties when the project is approved and ready to begin.

APPROVERS
An approval process can contain one or more steps, and each step of the process involves one of the
following types of approvers:

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l Client. Only clients can be selected as an approver. If a tech is involved in an approval process, link
the tech account to a client account.
Pros: Because all clients are available as approvers, using clients provides a high degree
of flexibility when you configure the approval process. For example, you can define
a multi-step approval process that includes clients in various locations and
departments.

Cons: If a client leaves your organization and they are involved in multiple approval
processes, you need to update each approval process with another approver.

l Department approver. You can configure a client to act as an approver for a department.
Pros: If a department approver leaves your organization and they are involved in multiple
approval processes, you only need to update the department approver once in the
system. That change propagates throughout all approval processes.

Cons: A department can only have one approver, and you cannot configure an approval
process to include multiple department approvers. For example, you cannot
configure the first step of an approval process to be approved by the IT department
approver, and then configure the second step of the process to be approved by the
Finance department approver. If you need individuals from multiple departments
to approve a ticket, configure the approval process to use clients or a Change
Advisory Board (CAB).

l Location approver. You can configure a client to act as an approver for a location.
Pros: If a location approver leaves your organization and that person is involved in
multiple approval processes, you only need to update the location approver once in
the system. That change propagates throughout all approval processes.
Unlike department approvers, an approval process can include multiple locations.

Cons: A location can have only one approver.

l Change Advisory Board (CAB). A CAB is a group of approvers that review and vote on requests as a
team. You decide how many members must agree before the ticket is approved or rejected. For
example, if a seven-member CAB reviews an upgrade request ticket, you can configure the step in
the approval process to be approved if only five members vote Yes.
Pros: A CAB can approve requests even when some members disagree. Members of a
non-CAB approval process review tickets in series, and any member can reject the
ticket at any step of the process. If you need a "majority rules" approval process,
use a CAB.

Cons: A CAB is not appropriate for ticket approval processes requiring one approval or a
unanimous approval.

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APPROVER PROCESS RULES
When you create your approval process, use the following conventions:

l Only one client can be a department approver.

l Only one client can be a location approver.
l Only one department approver can be in a process. For example, you cannot have the Director of
IT approve a ticket, and then have the Director of Finance approve the same ticket.
l You can include multiple location approvers in an approval process. For example, you can
configure an approval process so the ticket is approved by the location approver in San Francisco,
and then the location approver in New York City.
l You must link a request type to an approval process.
l An approval process can have multiple request types linked to it. The same process can be
used for more than one type of ticket.
l A request type cannot be linked to more than one approval process. Multiple approval
process cannot be required for the same ticket.
l If the request type associated with the approval process includes one or more children, select one
of the children as the supported request type. You cannot select the parent request type as the
supported request type.
l When a request is approved by the minimum number of CAB approvers, the ticket is removed
from the approvals queue for the remaining CAB members.
l You can string multiple CABs together in an approval process. For example, the first step of an
approval process can be approved by five out of seven approvers, and the second step can be
approved by three out of four approvers.
l The client who submits a ticket can approve the ticket, provided they are set up as the approver.

APPROVAL PATTERNS
The simplest approval process includes a single step that is approved by a client, a location approver, a
department approver, or a CAB. But you can configure more complex, multi-step approval processes that
include any of these approver types. For example, you can configure an approval process so a client
approves first, followed by a department approver and a location approver.

An approval process can contain any combination of:

l Multiple client approvers

l A single department approver
l Multiple location approvers
l Multiple CAB approvers

For example, you can configure an approval process so three clients approve the ticket first, followed by a
department approver and a location approver.

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You can also configure an approval process so a location approver approves the ticket first, followed by two
CABs.

PLAN YOUR APPROVAL PROCESS

Consider the following questions before you begin configuring your approval processes in Web Help Desk:

l Do you have a simple approval process with just one step, or do you have a multi-step approval
process?
l In an approval process, who (or what) approves each step? Is it a client approver, a department
approver, a location approver, or a CAB?
l Do you need multiple department approvers? If yes, use client approvers instead of department
approvers.
l Which request type are you using in the approval process? Keep in mind that a request type can be
associated with only one approval process.
l Are there any steps in the approval process where you want a team of approvers to vote, and you
can specify the required minimum number of approvers? Use a CAB to create a group of approvers
and select the minimum number of Yes votes needed to approve the request or move to the next
step in the process.

APPROVAL PROCESS SCENARIO AND PREREQUISITES

SCENARIO
The following topics describe how to set up a software upgrade approval process using an example
scenario. In this example, a server administrator submits a request to upgrade SQL Server 2008 to SQL
Server 2012. The ticket is routed to the Director of IT for review and approval. This example scenario uses a
department approver.

To create this approval process, make sure you have completed the prerequisites listed in the next section.
Then complete the following tasks:

l Create an approver role

l Assign a department and client to an approver role
l Create new status types

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 l Configure an approval process
l Test the approval process

PREREQUISITES
Before you begin the tasks to create an approval process, make sure the following tasks are already
completed:

l Clients accounts are created

All users involved in an approval process must be defined as clients, even if they are also defined as
techs in the system. In this example, Janet Mull is the server administrator who requests the
upgrade, and Richard Meyers is the Director of IT who reviews and approves the request.
Each client must have an assigned department.

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l Departments are created

A department is assigned to each client, and is used when you define a department approver. In this
scenario, both clients belong to the Information Technology department.
To define a department:
1. Click Setup > Locations > Options.
2. Select Use Departments and click Save.

3. Click Departments in the left menu.

The Departments menu displays.

l Request type is created

In this scenario, the server administrator submits a ticket using a request type created for upgrade
requests. For example, the Upgrade Request type was added to the preconfigured IT General/Other
request type.

CREATE APPROVER ROLES

An approver role provides dynamic approver assignments based on the department or location associated
with a ticket. A department approver role approves or rejects tickets for a specific department.

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 You can only use one department approver in a process. If you require multiple department
approvers to approve a request, then configure the process with client approvers.

In the following example, the IT Department Approver role is created for the Information Technology
department.

1. Click Setup > Processes > Approver Roles.

2. Click the Department Approver Roles tab.
3. Click New.
4. In the Approval Role Name field, enter a name that describes the role.
For example: IT Department Approver
5. Click Save.

CREATE APPROVER ROLES FOR LOCATIONS

To add a position that will be responsible for approvals for one or more locations:

1. Click Setup and select Processes > Approver Roles.

2. Click the Location Approver Roles tab.
3. Click New.
4. In the Approver Role Name field, enter a name that describes the role.
For example:
Austin Approver
5. Click Save.
Your selected name is added as an approver role name.

ASSIGN CLIENTS TO LOCATION APPROVAL ROLES

1. Click Setup and select Processes > Location Approvers.

2. In the Location Name column, click a location.
3. Click Add Role.
4. Click the Approver Role drop-down menu and select the appropriate role.
5. In the Approver Name row, enter a client first and last name in the appropriate field and click
Search to locate a client.
6. Click the name of the person you want to assign as a location approver.
7. Repeat steps 4 through step 6 above to add additional approvers.
8. When you are finished assigning approvers, click Save.

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ASSIGN CLIENTS TO DEPARTMENT APPROVAL ROLES

1. Click Setup and select Processes > Department Approvers.

2. Click the department. For example, Information Technology.

3. Click Add Role.

4. Select the Approver Role. For example, IT Department Approver.

5. In the Client Lookup section, search for and select the name of the person you want to assign as
the department approver.
6. Click Save.

CREATE A CAB
A Change Advisory Board (CAB) is a group of approvers that all review, and then together, vote on requests.
The ticket is approved or rejected when a number of members that you decide approve or reject the ticket.
For example, if a CAB consisting of seven members reviews an upgrade request ticket, you can configure
the step in the approval process to be approved if only five members vote Yes.

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 1. Click Setup and select Processes > Change Advisory Boards.
2. Click New.
3. In the Change Advisory Board Details screen, enter a CAB name in the CAB Name field.
To locate a CAB name, enter first and last name in the Client Lookup box and click Search.

4. Click additional names (if needed) to add additional members.

5. Select the minimum number of members required to approve a change ticket.
The minimum can be any number between one and the number of CAB members.
6. Click Save.

ADD CAB STATUS TYPES

Techs assigns a status type when they create a ticket. Before you configure the Processes section, check
the ticket status types to ensure that the Approved, Approval Pending, and Denied CAB status types are
configured correctly.

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1. Click Setup and select Tickets > Status Types.

2. In the Status Types tab, click New.

3. In the Name field, enter Denied.

4. In the Description field enter CAB Status Type.
5. Complete the remaining fields as required.
Click the tooltips for additional information.
6. Click Save.
7. Repeat step 2 through step 6 to add the Approved and Approval Pending status types.
When completed, you can set the status types options to enable the CAB features.

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SET THE STATUS TYPE OPTIONS FOR THE CAB FEATURE

1. Click Setup and select Tickets > Status Types.

2. Click the Options tab.
3. Complete the fields as required.
Click the tooltips for additional information.

4. Click Save.

ASSIGN A DEPARTMENT AND CLIENT TO AN APPROVER ROLE

PREREQUISITE
This is the second task in the approval process example scenario. Before you start, you must complete
the previous task:

Create an approver role

ASSIGN A DEPARTMENT AND CLIENT

In this task, you designate a client as the department approver. For example, Richard Meyers, the Director
of IT, is assigned to the IT Department Approver role.

1. Click Setup and select Processes > Department Approvers.

2. Click the department. For example, Information Technology.

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3. Click Add Role.

4. Select the Approver Role. For example, IT Department Approver.

5. In the Client Lookup section, search for and select the name of the person you want to assign as
the department approver.
6. Click Save.

CREATE NEW STATUS TYPES

When you define an approval process, you can create new status types to track a ticket as it is routed
through each stage of the process. These status types will be assigned to tickets that must be reviewed
and approved.

The following sections describe how to create new status types and then determine when a status type is
applied to a ticket.

PREREQUISITES
This is the third task in the approval process example scenario. Before you start, you must complete the
previous tasks:

Create an approver role

Assign a department and client to the role

CREATE A STATUS TYPE

This example uses three new status types:

l Request in process
l Request Approved
l Request Denied

Complete the following steps to create these types.

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 1. On the toolbar, click Setup.
2. Select Tickets > Status Types.
3. Click New.

4. Enter a name for the status type. For example, Request in process.
5. Complete the remaining fields as needed, and click Save.
For more information about any field, click the tooltip.

6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 to add status types.

DETERMINE WHEN A STATUS TYPE IS APPLIED TO A TICKET

After you create a status type, use the Options tab to select the condition under which the status is applied
to a ticket. For example, when a ticket is reopened, Web Help Desk automatically changes the status to
Open by default.

In the example below, the following status types are applied to tickets if the ticket's request type requires
approval.

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l When the ticket is submitted by a client, the system assigns the status type Request in process.
l If the ticket is approved, the system assigns the status type Request Approved.
l If the ticket is denied, the system assigns the status type Request Denied.

To determine when a status type is applied:

1. After you create a status type, click Options.

2. Perform the following:
a. In the Needs Approval Status Type field, select Request in process.
b. In the Approved Status Type field, select Request Approved.
c. In the Approval Denied Status Type field, select Request Denied.

3. Click Save.

CONFIGURE AN APPROVAL PROCESS

An approval process contains at least one step, and each step is approved by a client, a CAB, a location
approver, or a department approver.

In the following example, a one-step approval process is created, the IT Department Approver is assigned
as the approver, and the IT General/Other > Upgrade Request type is associated with the process.

PREREQUISITES
This is the fourth task in the approval process example scenario. Before you start, you must complete the
previous tasks:

Create an approver role

Assign a department and client to the role
Create new status types

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CONFIGURE AN APPROVAL PROCESS

1. Click Setup > Processes > Approval Processes.

2. Click New.

3. Enter a name for the process and click Save.

4. Click Approval Steps, and then click New.

5. Enter a name for the approval step.

6. Click an approver type. For example, Department Approver.

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7. Select the approver to assign to the step.

8. Click Save.
9. If necessary, add additional approval steps.
10. When you have added all steps, click Request Types Supported.
11. Click Edit.

12. Select all request types to associate with this approval process, and click Save.

13. On the Request Types Supported tab, click Done.

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TEST THE APPROVAL PROCESS
Test the approval process to ensure that tickets go to the correct approvers, and that the correct status
type is applied when the request is accepted or denied.

PREREQUISITES
This is the fifth task in the approval process example scenario. Before you start, you must complete the
previous tasks:

Create an approver role

Assign a department and client to an approver role
Create new status types
Configure an approval process

TEST THE PROCESS

You can test the approval process from the client or tech interface. If the tech is configured with a linked
client account, the tech can approve the ticket from within the tech interface.

TEST FROM THE CLIENT INTERFACE

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as a client.

2. Complete the Help Request form. Make sure you select the request type associated with the
approval process.

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3. Log in to Web Help Desk as the approver and click Approvals in the toolbar.
Web Help Desk displays the Approvals button for clients that have been set up as an
approver. If you do not see the Approvals option, log in as the administrator, and ensure that
the client is selected as the approver.

4. Ensure that the ticket you submitted is displayed.

5. In the My Vote column, select Yes or No, and click Save.

6. Log in to Web Help Desk as the admin (or tech), and search for the ticket you approved or rejected.
7. Open the ticket and review the status.
If you approve the ticket, the status changes to Request Approved. If you reject the ticket, the status
changes to Request Denied.
You can also use the Approvals field to track where tickets are in the approval process, and if
necessary, you can override an approval step.

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TEST FROM THE TECH INTERFACE

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as the admin.

2. Verify that the tech account is associated to a client account.
a. Click Setup > Techs > Techs.
b. Click a tech account name.
c. In the Account Info tab under Identity, ensure that Linked Client is configured to a client
account.
Click the help for more information.

3. Log out of Web Help Desk.

4. Log in to Web Help Desk as a client.
5. Complete the Help Request form. Make sure you select the request type associated with the
approval process.

6. Log out of Web Help Desk.

7. Log in to Web Help Desk as the client from step 5 and search for the ticket you created in step 5.
8. Open the ticket and scroll down to the My Approvals tab.
9. Select Yes or No in the My Vote column.

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10. Enter an explanation (if required).

11. Select the Display as a ticket note check box to add a ticket note (if required).
12. Click Save.
13. Scroll up to the Status & Schedule tab and review the status.
If you approve the ticket, the status changes to Request Approved. If you reject the ticket, the status
changes to Request Denied.
You can also use the Approvals field to track where tickets are in the approval process, and if
necessary, you can override an approval step.

APPLY APPROVALS
This section provides information about:

l Ticket approvals
l Approver action
l Email approvals
l Client web approvals

TICKET APPROVALS
When a client or tech logs in, creates a new ticket, and selects a request type assigned to an approval
process, the following notification appears:

This Request Type requires approval.

This step begins the approval process.

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If you added email notification in the approval process, Web Help Desk sends an email to the approver
assigned to the first step of the approval process. To complete the approval process, the first approver
approves the change, and an email is sent to the next approver. The process continues until the ticket is
approved or declined as specified in the approval process criteria.

APPROVER ACTION
An approver views or responds to the approval request in email or the Web interface (based on your
approval configuration).

EMAIL APPROVALS
To complete the email approval process, approvers receive an email when a ticket is created with an
assigned approval process.

You must add email notification to the approval process. Otherwise, email notification is disabled.

The approver responds by clicking Yes or No. Web Help Desk opens a Web page asking the approver to
confirm their decision. If the required number of required approvers choose Yes, the ticket status changes
to Approved. If the required number of required approvers do not choose Yes, the ticket status changes to
Denied.

If an approver clicks No, the approver receives an Explanation text box where they provide reasons for
declining the request. The approver can also select the Display as a ticket note check box that allows the
explanation to appear to the requestor.

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CLIENT WEB APPROVALS

1. Click Approvals to view New Approvals and vote on each new request and to view Old Approvals.
2. Add an explanation (if desired).
3. Select the Display as a ticket note check box to share the denial explanation as a note in the ticket.
4. Click Save.

TECH WEB APPROVALS

You can approve client tickets from two locations:

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 l My Approvals page
l Tickets

APPROVE TICKETS FROM THE MY APPROVALS PAGE

1. Click Tickets and select My Approvals.

2. Click New Approvals.
3. Vote on each new request.
4. Add an explanation (if desired).
5. Select the Display as a ticket note check box to share an explanation as a note in the ticket.
6. Click Save.
The ticket is moved to the Old Approvals page.

APPROVE TICKETS FROM THE CLIENT TICKET

1. Click Tickets and select My Approvals.

2. Click New Approvals.
3. Click a ticket number.
4. Scroll down to the My Approvals tab in the ticket.
5. Vote on each new request.
6. Add an explanation (if desired).
7. Click Save.
The approval displays in the Status & Schedule tab.
In the My Approvals page, the ticket is moved to the Old Approvals page.

Enter locations
Locations allow you to store information about customer locations and map those locations to techs in the
same geographical area. Populating this section is another step towards automated ticket processing and
technician dispatch.

When you first use Locations, only four Location pages (Options, Locations & Rooms, Location
Groups, and Location Custom Fields) are listed. Depending on the features you choose, the names
and screens will change.

DEFINE LOCATION CUSTOM FIELDS

Use the Location Custom Fields screen to create location custom fields.

Below is an example of the Location Custom Fields screen.

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1. Click Setup > Location and Departments > Location > Custom Fields.
2. Enter a name for the custom field in the Label field.
3. Click the Type drop-down menu and select the appropriate text format type.
4. Click the Width drop-down menu and select the number of columns in the custom field text area.
5. Click the Height drop-down menu and select the number of rows in the custom field text area.
6. In the Info field, enter a description that appears in a tool tip for this field.
When you create a tool tip, an Info icon appears next to the custom field. When the user mouses over
the icon, the tool tip appears.
7. Select the appropriate options for this custom field.
a. Select the Limit Input to Text Box Width check box to ensure the maximum number of
characters allowed does not exceed the number of characters selected in the Width drop-
down menu.
b. Select the Encrypt in database check box to AES-encrypt the data entered in the custom field
before it is stored in the database.
If you select this option after your data is entered, the existing values are not encrypted until
they are updated.
c. Select the Searchable check box to enable the custom field to appear as a search option on
the Advanced Search page.
d. Select the Allow full-text search (slower) check box when the custom field value may exceed
255 characters.
For performance reasons, only the first 255 characters are indexed. Selecting this option
reduces the search performance.
8. Click the Display Order drop-down menu and select the order the custom field appears with the
current custom fields.
9. In the Techs section, select the appropriate client permissions, defining whether the field is hidden,
visible, editable, or required or the tech.

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 Administrators have at least Editable access to all custom fields. Required fields are required
for all administrators.

10. Click Save.

DEFINE DEPARTMENT CUSTOM FIELDS

Use the Department Custom Fields screen to create location custom fields.

Below is an example of the Department Custom Fields screen.

1. Click Setup > Location and Departments > Department Custom Fields.
2. Enter a name for the custom field in the Label field.
3. Click the Type drop-down menu and select the appropriate text format type.
4. Click the Width drop-down menu and select the number of columns in the custom field text area.
5. Click the Height drop-down menu and select the number of rows in the custom field text area.
6. In the Info field, enter a description that appears in a tool tip for this field.
When you create a tool tip, an Info icon appears next to the custom field. When the user mouses over
the icon, the tool tip appears.
7. Select the appropriate options for this custom field.
a. Select the Limit Input to Text Box Width check box to ensure the maximum number of
characters allowed does not exceed the number of characters selected in the Width drop-
down menu.
b. Select the Encrypt in database check box to AES-encrypt the data entered in the custom field
before it is stored in the database.
If you select this option after your data is entered, the existing values are not encrypted until
they are updated.

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c. Select the Searchable check box to enable the custom field to appear as a search option on
the Advanced Search page.
d. Select the Allow full-text search (slower) check box when the custom field value may exceed
255 characters.
For performance reasons, only the first 255 characters are indexed. Selecting this option
reduces the search performance.
8. Click the Display Order drop-down menu and select the order the custom field appears with the
current custom fields.
9. In the Techs section, select the appropriate client permissions, defining whether the field is hidden,
visible, editable, or required or the tech.

Administrators have at least Editable access to all custom fields. Required fields are required
for all administrators.

10. Click Save.

Define clients
The Clients tab options define Web Help Desk Client users and how they enter information into the
application. When a new client accesses Web Help Desk and is accepted by the system, they are
automatically given the access and interaction permissions you defined for each client.

The AD / LDAP Connections option copies and adds client data from Microsoft® Exchange and other mail
servers and adds this data to Web Help Desk. Using this feature streamlines the process to help you avoid
manually adding all your clients.

See Define client custom fields to define field features such as field name and display order.

See Discover and add Active Directory / LDAP directory connections to discover and import client AD /
LDAP information from the client Exchange or LDAP server.

MANUALLY CREATE A CLIENT ACCOUNT

If client information is not in a format that can be easily imported, you can manually create each client
account. The account information must include the client's name, email, and Web Help Desk login
credentials, as shown in the example below.

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 1. In the toolbar, click Clients.
2. Click New Client.
3. Enter the client's name, credentials, and contact information.
Required fields are bold.

4. Update other options as needed. See the tooltips for more information.
5. Click Save.
If you selected the client option E-mail Client When Account is Created, Web Help Desk sends a
confirmation email to the client.

DEFINE CLIENT OPTIONS

Client options are general settings that affect all clients who log in to Web Help Desk. Review these options
and update them as needed.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup.

2. Choose Clients > Options.
3. If you want to allow clients to create accounts from the client interface, change the Client Can Create
Account setting.
If you allow clients to create accounts, SolarWinds recommends selecting Only if the client's email
matches an Accepted Domain. Specify the accepted domains below.

4. If you want to email login information to new clients, select E-Mail Client When Account Is Created.

To change the text of the email that Web Help Desk sends, choose Setup > E-Mail > Templates

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and open the New Account Message template.

5. Review and update other settings as needed. See the tooltips for information about each option.
6. Click Save.

SET UP CLIENT ADMIN ROLES

You can set up a client admin to open tickets on behalf of other clients for a remote location or
department. If the client tickets include service requests, incidents, and problem tickets that require
additional diagnosis and intervention, the client admin can report these issues to management for
problem resolution.

The client admin does not require a user license, but cannot act as a tech within the Web Help Desk
deployment.

1. Click Setup and select Clients > Client Admin Roles.

2. Click New.

3. In the Role Name field, enter a name for this role.

4. In the Request Type Supported row, select the appropriate role check boxes.
These request types populate with the Request Types you defined at Tickets > Request Types.

5. Click Save.

ADD ADDITIONAL CLIENT ADMIN PERMISSIONS

You can add additional client admin permissions for a specific location.

1. Click Setup and select Companies and Locations > Location & Rooms.
2. Click the appropriate location in the Location Name column.
3. Click the pencil icon in the Location Info tab to edit the tab preferences.
4. In the Default Client Admin Permissions row, select the appropriate values for the client admin.

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 If you select Client Admin Can Report for Others, the client admin has the option of creating a ticket
and assigning a different client as the originator.

You can override the Default Client Admin Permissions values for each client admin by
clicking the icon next to each client.

5. Click Save.

DEFINE CLIENT CUSTOM FIELDS

Use the Defining Client Custom Fields screen to create custom client fields.

1. Click Setup.
2. Select Clients > Client Custom Fields.
3. Click New.
The Client Custom Fields screen displays the default values for a new custom field.
4. Enter a Label to identify this field.

5. On the Display Order drop-down menu, select this field's position within the Custom Fields section
of a ticket.

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6. In the Clients and Techs sections, specify whether each group can see or edit the custom field.
Techs with admin accounts can edit all custom fields.

7. Select the Type of input this field will accept.

The remaining fields change based on the Type you select.

8. Complete the remaining fields. Point to any field name to display information.

9. Click Save.

IMPORT ACTIVE DIRECTORY/LDAP DIRECTORY CONNECTIONS

Use the Active Directory / Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (AD / LDAP) Connections settings to
discover and import client AD / LDAP information from the client’s Microsoft Exchange or LDAP server. AD /
LDAP Connections can perform bulk data imports of AD and LDAP directories that speeds up the client
setup process and greatly reduces manual input errors. You can use the AD/LDAP Connections to
synchronize Web Help Desk user information with the latest information on your Microsoft Exchange or
LDAP server.

ABOUT LDAP
LDAP is a protocol that creates a central user database for single sign-on (SSO), allowing you to access
resources and services in a network. LDAP implementations use self-signed certificates by default. To use
a trusted certificate issued by a Certificate Authority (CA), you can import the certificate into your Java key
store.

VALIDATE LDAP CERTIFICATES

You can establish a secure connection from Web Help Desk to an LDAP server by selecting the SSL check
box. To accept certificates issued by a CA, select the Accept only trusted Certificates check box. When
selected, Web Help Desk verifies the host LDAP certificate against the certificates in your Java key store. If
Web Help Desk detects a certificate that is not signed by a trusted CA or uploaded to your Java key store,
Web Help Desk generates a warning in the user interface and does not store the LDAP connection.

The WHDGlobalConfig.properties file contains the name, password, and location of your Java key
store. This file is located in the following directory:

c:\\<WebHelpDesk>\conf

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To update these parameters, edit the file with your new settings, save the file, and then restart Web Help
Desk. See Keystore Settings (for SSL Connections) for more information.

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SYNCHRONIZE WEB HELP DESK USER INFORMATION

When you import your AD/LDAP connections, use the following conventions:

l Ensure the person configuring and using this import is experienced with AD and LDAP
administration.
l Work with a client representative familiar with AD/LDAP and the existing structure. The client
representative must have administrative access to the customer AD/LDAP server.
l If your AD/LDAP directory contains mostly users not using Web Help Desk, SolarWinds does not
recommend performing a bulk AD/LDAP import.

To connect to a client LDAP server and import or synchronize users:

1. Click Setup.
2. Select Clients > AD / LDAP Connections.
3. To create a new connection, click New.
To update an existing connection, click the connection name to open it, and then click to edit.
4. In the Connection Basics tab, select Enabled to enable the connection.
5. Enter the required connection information. See the tooltips for more information.

6. Maximize the Advanced window and review or update the advanced settings.
7. If you want to use bulk synchronization, select Enabled and then specify when the synchronization
should occur.
To avoid affecting network performance, schedule the synchronization for a time when the
network is least busy.

8. Click Save.
9. Click Test Settings to test your settings, and make adjustments if needed.

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 10. Map client account fields to attributes in the schema.
a. Click the Attribute Mappings tab.
b. Specify the AD or LDAP schema being used.
c. Locate each client account field that will be populated with information from the AD or
LDAP server. To map each field, enter the associated schema element as instructed by the AD
or LDAP administrator.

The client's last name, user name, and email must be mapped. If you are using the default
schema, these fields are mapped automatically. For custom schemas, you must map these
attributes manually.
Any field, including custom fields, can be mapped if the data is available in the schema.

11. Click Save.

IMPORT CLIENTS
Use the Import Clients function to import client data into Web Help Desk. See Import data using templates
for information on applying templates.

1. In the toolbar click Setup and select Data Import > Import Clients.
The Import Clients screen displays.

2. Click the Sync Based On drop-down menu and select the column in the import file used to
synchronize the import data with existing records.
3. Select the Ignore Blank Fields check box to ignore blank fields in the imported file.
If not selected, the blank fields in the import file will clear the corresponding values in the existing
records.

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4. Select the Add New Entities check box to add new entities referred by the import records if they do
not exist in the database.
5. Select the Abort Import on First Error check box to stop the import procedure when Web Help Desk
encounters an error.
If not selected, Web Help Desk will continue the import if errors appear.
6. In the File Type row, select the appropriate import file format.
7. Click the File Encoding drop-down menu and select the method used to encode the import file.
If your import file contains any Unicode characters, select Microsoft Excel, as this file format encodes
in UTF-16 format.
8. In the Import Data File row, click Choose File and select the file to use for the import procedure.
The first line of the import file must match the import template. SolarWinds recommends
copying and pasting the template into your data file to ensure that it is identical. The import
procedure will generate an error if the first row of the import file does not match the
template.

9. Click Import.
The file contents is imported into the Web Help Desk database.

Define assets
Assets are the Client-owned software and hardware that Techs work with. Web Help Desk tracks Assets by
properties such as:

l Location
l Type
l Status
l Owner
l Serial Number
l Model and Manufacturer
l Warranty Dates
l Lease Types
l Relationship to Other Assets
l Ticket History
l Purchase Orders

Because Clients usually have large numbers of Assets, and Assets have a large number of properties
associated with each one, assets are not typically entered manually. Web Help Desk includes an extensive
selection of asset import and discovery options. These options include interfaces to:

l LANrev Absolute Manager

l Apple Remote Desktop
l JAMF Casper

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 l Lansweeper
l Microsoft Systems Management Server / Systems Center Configuration Manager
l Spreadsheet import
l CSV or TSV imports

See Import data for details on how to import Asset Data. For information about configuring connections to
import asset data, see Discover assets.

CONFIGURE ASSET IMPORT AND PERMISSION OPTIONS

Use the Asset Options screen to set the options for Asset and Asset permissions for Techs.

Click the information icon in each row to see the tooltip.

DEFINE ASSET TYPE, STATUS, WARRANTY, AND LEASE

INFORMATION
Asset type, status, warranty, and lease information are usually included data imports. However, if you have
undefined Asset types, you can manually define them on the Types page.

Assets can be associated with clients so techs can easily identify the items for which support is requested.

ASSET CLASSES TAB

Use the Asset Classes tab to represent any type of classification you choose, such as Software, Hardware,
Owned, and Leased.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Types.

2. The Types screen appears.
3. Click the Asset > Types tab.
4. Click New.
5. In the Name field, enter a name for the custom type.
6. In the Custom Fields row, select which of your custom fields should be attributed to the type you
are creating.
7. Click Save.

ASSET STATUS TYPES TAB

Use the Asset Status Classes tab to define Asset status. A status can be anything you create, such as
Deployed (for equipment in use) or In Storage (for equipment in storage and not in use). Web Help Desk
includes predefined Deployed status types.

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1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Assets > Types.

2. Click the Asset Status Types tab.
3. Click New.
4. In the Name field, enter a name for the custom type.
5. Select the Retired check box if your custom selection is retired.
6. Click Save.

WARRANTY TYPES TAB

Use the Warranty Classes to create and apply warranty classes (from one year to five years) and reflect the
appropriate warranty length or type for a particular asset class.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Types.

2. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Types.
3. Click the Warranty Types tab.
4. Click New.
5. In the Warranty Name field, enter the name used to identify the warranty.
6. In the Expiration row, enter the amount of time until expiration.
If there is no expiration, leave the field blank.
7. Click Save.

LEASE TYPES TAB

Use the Lease Classes tab to create and apply lease types—from one year to five years—and reflect the
appropriate warranty length or type for a particular asset class.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Lease Types.

2. Click the Lease Types tab.
3. Click New.
4. In the Lease Name field, enter a name to identify the lease.
5. In the Expiration row, enter the amount of time until expiration.
If there is no expiration, leave this field blank.
6. Click Save.

DEFINE ASSET CUSTOM FIELDS

Use Custom Fields to extend the types properties associated with assets.

Below is an example of the Asset Custom Fields screen.

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FIELD / CHECK BOX DESCRIPTION

Label The name of your custom field.

Type Select one of the following types using semicolons to delimit multiple
choices in the Options setting:

l Text (up to 255 characters)

l Number (number of integers with up to four decimal places)
l Currency
l Date
l Dateline
l Time Period
l Multiple Choice (adds check boxes)
l Single Choice (adds radio buttons)
l Pop-up menu (adds a single-selection menu)

Width Specifies the number of columns in the custom field text area.

Info Creates a tool tip that helps users complete the custom field.

When the tool tip is created, an Info icon is displayed next to the
custom field. When the user mouses over the Info icon, the tool tip
pops up.

Display Order Click the drop-down menu and select the custom field order.

Height Specifies the number of rows in the custom field text area

Clients Configures the Client permissions, defining whether the client can
see, edit, or interact with the custom field.

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FIELD / CHECK BOX DESCRIPTION

These fields are disabled when the custom field is not visible in the
client interface.

Techs Configures the Tech permissions, defining whether the tech can see,
edit, or interact with the custom field.

Administrative users have at least Editable access to all custom

fields. The Required fields are required for Administrators.

Limit Input to Text Ensures the maximum number of characters does not exceed the
Box Width number of characters chosen in the Width option.

Encrypt in database AES-encrypts the data entered in the custom field before it is stored
in the database.

If you select this option after the data is entered, the existing values
are not encrypted until they are updated.

Searchable Includes the custom field as a search option in the Advanced Search
page.

Allow full-text search Indexes only the first 255 characters in a custom field.
(slower)
Select this option when the custom field values could exceed 255
characters. Applying this option greatly reduces search performance.

Exclude From E-Mail Ensures the custom field is not shown in emails to clients or techs.

ADD MANUFACTURERS
Use the Manufacturers Info page to add hardware and software and other asset manufacturer contact
information.

Click Edit to enter information. Click Save when you finish entering the manufacturer information.

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ADD VENDORS
The Vendors page defines contacts for ordering parts or software.

Complete the required fields for each vendor contact, and click Save.

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DEFINE PO CUSTOM FIELDS

Purchase Order (PO) Custom Fields define custom fields and specify view and editing permissions for
techs. Use this screen to extend the types properties associated with purchase orders.

See Managing assets for information about working with purchase orders.

No client permissions are available in PO custom field because clients never view purchase orders.

Below is an example of the PO Custom Fields screen.

FIELD / CHECK BOX DESCRIPTION

Label The name of your custom field.

Type Select one of the following types using semicolons to delimit multiple
choices in the Options setting:

l Text (up to 255 characters)

l Number (number of integers with up to four decimal places)
l Currency
l Date
l Dateline
l Time Period
l Multiple Choice (adds check boxes)
l Single Choice (adds radio buttons)
l Pop-up menu (adds a single-selection menu)

Width Specifies the number of columns in the custom field text area.

Info Creates a tool tip that helps users complete the custom field.

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 FIELD / CHECK BOX DESCRIPTION

When the tool tip is created, an Info icon appears next to the custom
field. When the user mouses over the Info icon, the tool tip pops up.

Display Order Click the drop-down menu and select the custom field order.

Height Specifies the number of rows in the custom field text area

Clients Configures the Client permissions, defining whether the client can
see, edit, or interact with the custom field.

These fields are disabled when the custom field is not visible in the
client interface.

Techs Configures the Tech permissions, defining whether the Tech can see,
edit, or interact with the custom field.

Administrative users have at least Editable access to all custom

fields. The Required fields are required for Administrators.

Limit Input to Text Ensures the maximum number of characters allowed does not
Box Width exceed the number of characters chosen in the Width option.

Encrypt in database AES-encrypts the data entered in the custom field before ti is stored
in the database.

If you select this option after the data is entered, the existing values
are not encrypted until they are updated.

Searchable Enables the custom field to appear as a search option in the

Advanced Search page.

Allow full-text search Indexes only the first 255 characters in a custom field.
(slower)
Select this option when the custom field values may exceed 255
characters. Applying this option greatly reduces search performance.

Exclude From E-Mail Ensures the custom field does not appear in emails to Clients or
Techs.

IMPORT ASSET DATA

Use the Import Assets screen located at Setup > Data Import > Import Assets to add asset data into Web
Help Desk.

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To ensure a successful data import, use the Assets Import template.

See Import data using templates for information about applying templates.

1. Click Setup and select Data Import > Import Assets.

2. In the Import Assets screen, complete the fields as required.
Click the tooltips for additional information.
3. Click Import.
The file is imported into Web Help Desk.

Set up parts and billing

You can apply parts and billing options in Web Help Desk to track resources, such as parts, inventory, and
billing tickets. When applied, you can:

l Select parts and billing options

l Set up billing invoices
l Define rates and terms
l Define part custom fields

APPLY PARTS AND BILLING OPTIONS

Parts & Billing Options enable or disable the parts and billing functionality, define the ticket PDF format,
and enable or disable service time blocks by location. All of this functionality is enabled by default. Always
make sure this functionality is active when you configure how Web Help Desk handles parts and billing.

To enable this feature, click Setup > Parts & Billing > Options and select the Parts & Billing Enabled check
box in the Parts & Billing Options screen. To disable this feature, clear the check box.

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Disabling Parts & Billing hides the main Parts icon, the ticket detail Parts & Billing tab, billing preferences
and the billing reporting options.

PERFORM INVOICING
Set up your company contacts in Web Help Desk for each billing invoice. When completed, you can
generate an invoice or quote from a ticket.

SPECIFY A COMPANY CONTACT FOR INVOICES

1. Click Setup > Parts & Billing > Invoicing Options.

2. In the Invoicing tab, enter the appropriate contact information.
Click the tooltips for more information.

3. (Optional) Click the Logo tab.

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4. (Optional) Upload a .gif or .png file containing your company logo.

5. Click Save.

GENERATE A PDF INVOICE OR QUOTE FROM A TICKET

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets and select Search Tickets.

2. In the Basic Search or Advanced Search tab windows, enter the appropriate search criteria for your
ticket, and then click Search.
3. In the search results, click the appropriate ticket number.
4. Click the Parts & Billing tab.
5. Select the type of PDF you want to generate.
6. Click the PDF icon.

DEFINE RATES AND TERMS

You can use the Billing Rates, Terms, and Taxes feature to define billing rates to use in your tickets. You
can configure specific billing rates to be consistent with the level of delivered service (Level tech) and the
applicable local tax codes.

1. Click Setup and select Parts & Billing > Rates & Terms.
2. Click New.
3. Complete the fields and selections as required, then click Save.
Click the tooltips for additional information.

4. Click the Billing Terms tab.

5. Click New.

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 6. Complete the field and drop-down menu as required, then click Save.
Click the tooltips for more information.

7. Click the Tax Rates tab.

8. Click New.
9. Complete the fields and selections as required, then click Save.
Click the tooltips for more information.

DEFINE PART CUSTOM FIELDS

Use the Part Custom Fields screen to create custom part fields. To access this screen, click Setup and select
Part & Billing > Part Custom Fields.

Below is an example of the Part Custom Fields screen.

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FIELD / CHECK BOX DESCRIPTION

Label The name of your custom field.

Type Select one of the following types using semicolons to delimit multiple
choices in the Options setting:

l Text (up to 255 characters)

l Number (number of integers with up to four decimal places)
l Currency
l Date
l Dateline
l Time Period
l Multiple Choice (adds check boxes)
l Single Choice (adds radio buttons)
l Pop-up menu (adds a single-selection menu)

Width Specifies the number of columns in the custom field text area.

Info Creates a tool tip that helps users complete the custom field.

When the tool tip is created, an Info icon appears next to the custom
field. When the user mouses over the Info icon, the tool tip pops up.

Display Order Click the drop-down menu and select the custom field order.

Height Specifies the number of rows in the custom field text area

Clients Configures the Client permissions, defining whether the client can
see, edit, or interact with the custom field.

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 FIELD / CHECK BOX DESCRIPTION

These fields are disabled when the custom field is not visible in the
client interface.

Techs Configures the Tech permissions, defining whether the Tech can see,
edit, or interact with the custom field.

Administrative users have at least Editable access to all custom

fields. The Required fields are required for Administrators.

Limit Input to Text Ensures the maximum number of characters allowed does not
Box Width exceed the number of characters chosen in the Width option.

Encrypt in database AES encrypts the data entered in the custom field before it is stored
in the database.

If you select this option after the data is entered, the existing values
are not encrypted until they are updated.

Searchable Enables the custom field to appear as a search option in the

Advanced Search page.

Allow full-text search Indexes only the first 255 characters in a custom field.
(slower)
Select this option when the custom field values may exceed 255
characters. Applying this option greatly reduces search performance.

Exclude From E-Mail Ensures the custom field does not appear in emails to Clients or
Techs.

CONFIGURE INVENTORY ALERTS

You can configure the frequency and recipients for all email alerts—for example, when your inventory
threshold falls below your specified level for parts a client regularly requests.

1. Click Setup > Parts & Billing > Inventory Alerts.

2. In the Inventory Alerts screen, click the first Inventory Alert Interval drop-down menu and select a
value from 0 to 100.

3. Click the second Inventory Alert drop-down menu and select the appropriate alert frequency.

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4. In the Default Inventory Alerts Recipients field, enter the email addresses for each recipient who
will receive inventory alerts.

Click the tooltips for more information.

5. Click Save.

OVERRIDE DEFAULT INVENTORY ALERT RECIPIENTS

1. Click Setup and select Companies and Locations > Locations and Rooms.
2. In the Location Name column, click the appropriate location.
3. Edit the information in the tab windows as required.
4. Click Done.

Set up the Dashboard

Use the dashboard to create and view pie chart, bar graph, and text widgets that display ticket statistical
data. These widgets show trends in specific ticket categories (such as Ticket Status and Alert Condition) to
help you locate issues that could impact your help desk and corporate operations.

You can configure three types of widgets:

l Ticket Chart
l Ticket Activity
l What's New

Access the widgets from the Widget Drawer. Click Open Widget Drawer in the dashboard to display all
available widgets.

TICKET CHART WIDGET

The ticket chart widget displays your ticket metrics in pie or bar charts. Each chart type identifies the total
number of selections in a specific category.

Widgets can generate a warning message if the data cannot be processed within 15 seconds. See Ticket
Chart performance limitations for more information.

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CREATE A TICKET CHART WIDGET

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets > Dashboard.

2. In the dashboard, click Open Widget Drawer.
3. Select Ticket Chart Widget.
A preview of the widget displays.
4. Click and drag the widget header to the dashboard.
5. Resize the widget to your desired size. Use the blue snap-to guide to ensure that the widget is sized
correctly.
6. Click the drop-down menu icon and select Options.
7. Select your chart options.
To import the chart data into a spreadsheet, click the Raw Data icon and copy the data in the window
to an external file. When you are finished, close the window.
8. Click Save.
The widget displays in the dashboard with your selected category in the header. When you hover
your mouse arrow over a pie slice or horizontal bar, a pop-up window displays the total number of
tickets.
Select the Hide Headers check box to hide all widget headers.

9. Click Close Widget Drawer.

TICKET CHART TYPES

You can select a pie chart or horizontal bar chart.

The pie chart divides each ticket category into slices that illustrate the numerical proportion of your tickets.
You can restrict the chart data by clicking a legend item to remove the category from the chart. For
example, if you click and remove Closed, the chart only displays Open and Pending ticket information.
Double-click a legend option to remove all categories except your selected category.

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The Horizontal Bar chart displays your ticket categories using color-coded bars. Each category includes a
separate bar color and corresponding data value.

TICKET CHART OPTIONS

To configure your widget options, click the options drop-down menu. The Ticket Chart Options window
opens and you can configure all available options to display in the chart.

The window includes a widget preview that displays your data in real time. When a data parameter
changes, Web Help Desk implements a new database call and updates the chart to reflect the changes. If
your ticket chart options include a complicated request, the chart may require additional time to process
the request.

Select a Category option to filter your ticket data by request type (such as Status). The Query option filters
your category results through a condition or qualifier that you set up in Advanced Search.

For example, you can set up a query that searches your Web Help Desk database for all tickets opened
within the last 30 days and save the query as Opened within 30 days.

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To share your query with all techs, select the Shared check box in the tab window. When you select the
query in the Query drop-down menu, an asterisk (*) displays next to the query and indicates the query is
shared with all techs.

When you select this query in the Query menu and Status in the Category menu, the chart preview
displays the number of tickets by status opened within the last 30 business days. An asterisk (*) displays
next to the query and indicates the query is shared with all techs.

If you select Horizontal Bar, the Show non-zero items only check box displays. Select this check box to
display all categories with values greater than zero only.

After you select the chart type and the number of top items to display in the chart, click Save to display the
chart in your widget. You can also export the raw data to an external file.

Web Help Desk refreshes the Ticket Chart widget every 60 seconds.

VIEW TICKETS BY CATEGORY AND STATUS

When you click a pie slice or horizontal bar, Web Help Desk displays all associated tickets. For example,
when you click the Open pie slice, Web Help Desk displays all open tickets opened within the last 30 days
with an Open status. The widget title reflects the selected category and category value.

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To adjust the number of displayed tickets, click the Items per Page drop-down menu. If you need to search
for a specific term in the page, press Control + F and enter your search term to highlight it in the page.

VIEW A SELECTED TICKET

You can view an individual ticket by clicking a ticket in the window. For example, if you click ticket 12, Web
Help Desk opens the Search Tickets option and displays ticket number 12 on your screen.

Click to return to the Dashboard. If you click the browser Back arrow, you return to the
Dashboard main page, but you lose your search results.

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TICKET CHART PERFORMANCE LIMITATIONS
The Category drop-down menu in the Ticket Chart Options window include the following categories:

l Alert Level
l Alert Condition
l On-time Status
l First-Call Resolution

These categories may require an extended amount of time to query the Web Help Desk database, process
the results, and display the results in the chart. If these categories cannot be processed within 15 seconds,
the system times out and displays a warning message.

To minimize this issue, create and save a query in Tickets > Search > Advanced Search to reduce your
search results. When you are finished, add the query to your widget options. This method reduces the
amount of data processing required by the Web Help Desk database and prevents a warning.

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For example, you can create a query in the Tickets > Search Tickets > Advanced Search tab that locates all
tickets created within the last month. When you are finished, save the query with a corresponding name
(such as Open within 30 days).

To share the query with other techs, select the Shared check box. When you configure your ticket chart
options, the shared queries displays in the Query drop-down menu with an asterisk (*).

TICKET ACTIVITY WIDGET

The ticket activity widget displays the recent changes applied to your tickets. These changes include:

l Tech notes
l Client notes
l Emails
l Assignments
l Escalations
l De-escalations
l Others

Web Help Desk refreshes this widget every 60 seconds.

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TICKET ACTIVITY OPTIONS
You can configure the ticket activity widget by clicking Options in the widget drop-down menu. This opens
the Ticket Activity Options window where you can configure all available options that display in the chart.
The window includes a chart preview that shows you how the chart will display in the widget based on
your selected options.

You can select one or more activity types, select a query to narrow your search results, and select the
number of items that display in the Ticket Activity window. Additionally, you can export the widget data to
an external file.

TICKET ACTIVITY MESSAGE ICONS

The following icons display in the ticket activity widget to indicate a problem or action in the ticket.

ICON DESCRIPTION

Web Help Desk cannot send an email to the client.

The ticket is assigned to a tech.

The ticket includes a new note.

The ticket was de-escalated.

The widget is collecting ticket data.

The ticket includes a new tech note.

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CREATE A TICKET ACTIVITY WIDGET

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets > Dashboard.

2. In the dashboard, click Open Widget Drawer.
3. Select Ticket Activity.
A preview of the widget displays.
4. Click and drag the widget header to the dashboard.
5. Resize the widget to your desired size. Use the blue snap-to guide to ensure the widget is sized
correctly.
6. Click the drop-down menu icon and select Options.
7. Select the appropriate options in the Ticket Activity Options window, and then click OK.
The widget displays in the dashboard.
You can select the Hide Headers check box to hide all widget headers

8. Click Close Widget Drawer.

WHAT'S NEW WIDGET

The What's New widget lists the new features included with your release. This widget does not include any
configuration options.

CREATE A WHAT'S NEW WIDGET

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets > Dashboard.

2. In the dashboard, click Open Widget Drawer.
3. Select What's New.
A preview of the widget displays.
4. Click and drag the widget header to the dashboard.
5. Click Close Widget Drawer.
6. Resize the widget to your desired size. Use the blue snap-to guide to ensure all widgets are the same
size in your dashboard.
The widget is resized in the dashboard. No configuration is required.
7. Click Close Widget Drawer.

EXPORT THE WIDGET DATA

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets > Dashboard
2. In the dashboard, select a ticket chart widget to export the data.
3. Click the drop-down menu icon and select Options.
4. Click the Raw Data icon.
5. Copy and save the data to an external file.

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Start and Stop Web Help Desk Services
When you install or update certain features in your Web Help Desk deployment, you must stop and restart
the Web Help Desk Services in your operating system to enable these features. The following sections
describe how to start and stop Web Help Desk Services in each supported operating system.

Make sure you are logged in to your Web Help Desk system as an Administrator.

MICROSOFT WINDOWS SERVER

To Start Web Help Desk Services, do one of the following:

l Using the Start Menu options, right-click Start Web Help Desk and select Run as Administrator.
l Navigate to your <WebHelpDesk> directory, right click whd_start.bat, and select Run as
Administrator.
l Run the following commands in a command prompt (if WHD is installed in the default location):
cd C:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk
whd start

To Stop Web Help Desk Services, do one of the following:

l Using the Start Menu options, right-click Stop Web Help Desk and select Run as Administrator.
l Navigate to your <WebHelpDesk> directory, right-click whd_stop.bat and select Run as
Administrator.
l Run the following commands in a command prompt (if WHD is installed in the default location):
cd C:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk
whd stop

APPLE OS X
To Start Web Help Desk Services, navigate to /Applications/WebHelpDesk and click Start Web Help
Desk or run the following commands in a terminal window:

cd /Library/WebHelpDesk

cd /Library/helpdeskmanager

./whd start

To Stop Web Help Desk Services, navigate to /Applications/WebHelpDesk and click Stop Web Help
Desk or run the following commands in a terminal window:

cd /Library/WebHelpDesk

cd /Library/helpdeskmanager

./whd stop

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LINUX
The following procedures apply to RPM installations.

To Start Web Help Desk Services, run the following commands in a terminal window:

cd /usr/local/webhelpdesk/

sudo ./whd start

To Stop Web Help Desk Services, run the following commands in a terminal window:

cd /usr/local/webhelpdesk/

sudo ./whd stop

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Enable FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography
Beginning in Web Help Desk 12.4.0, you can configure a new or existing Web Help Desk deployment for
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant cryptography. This compliance is required
for computer systems installed in U.S. Federal Government agencies and companies in a regulated
industry (such as healthcare and financial institutions) that share and distribute sensitive but unclassified
(SBU) information.

If you are enabling FIPS in a new deployment, complete the installation procedures for a new deployment.

If you are enabling FIPS in an existing deployment:

1. Complete the installation procedures for an existing deployment.

2. Prepare for the database migration by running the Password Security Migration Tool.
3. Migrate all client and tech passwords to FIPS 140-2 cryptography.

Enabling FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography is optional and is not required to use Web Help Desk.

Network Security Services

The FIPS cryptography implements Network Security Services (NSS)—a set of open-source cryptographic
libraries developed by Mozilla that support security-enabled client and server applications. When
integrated with NSS, Web Help Desk can support public-key cryptography standards #11 (PKCS #11)
certificates for FIPS compliance.

All connections through SSL to the external tools require a trusted certificate to be imported into the
NSS database.

CA and self-signed certificates

After you configure FIPS in your deployment, you can obtain and import a signed certificate by a trusted
Certificate Authority (for production environments) or a self-signed certificate (for test environments) to
your NSS database to authenticate your Web Help Desk server identity in a secure HTTPS connection.
When completed, your deployment is FIPS 140-2 compliant.

Web Help Desk 12.4.0 and later supports FIPS mode on supported Windows 64-bit operating
systems.

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Before you begin

Enabling FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography requires careful planning and coordination with IT
management and corporate personnel for a successful implementation. Review the requirements and
procedures in this section to ensure you have the appropriate amount of time, hardware, software, and
resources for your deployment.

FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography is not recommended in a multiple-instance environment.

After you enable FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography in your Web Help Desk deployment, you cannot
revert back to your previous configuration.

Requirements
SolarWinds recommends reviewing the following requirements before you enable FIPS 140-2 compliant
cryptography in your Web Help Desk deployment.

COMPONENT REQUIREMENT

Web Help Desk 12.4.x and later

Hardware system Non-virtualized platform

Operating system Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)

Windows Server 2012 (64-bit)

Windows Server 2012 R2 (64-bit)

Windows Server 2016

Database 1 MySQL 5.6 2

MySQL 5.7

PostgreSQL 9.2 (embedded)

PostgreSQL 9.3.2 (embedded)

PostgreSQL 9.4 (embedded)

SQL Server 2008 R2 SP3 2

SQL Server 2012 SP1 2

SQL Server 2014 2

LDAP Active Directory 2003

Active Directory 2008

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COMPONENT REQUIREMENT

Active Directory 2012

Active Directory 2012 R2

Open Directory 4

OpenLDAP 2.4

OpenLDAP 2.4.42

Mail server and protocols Exchange Server 2010

Exchange Server 2013 CU7

Exchange Server 2016

SMTP v3 3

Asset discovery connections MySQL 5.6

MySQL 5.7

SQL Server 2008 R2 SP3

SQL Server 2012 SP1

SQL Server 2014

Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)

Web browser Google Chrome (Latest version)

Mozilla Firefox (Latest version)

Internet Explorer v9, v10, and v11

SolarWinds Integration SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor

SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor

1 Single instance only.

2 SSL connections are not supported. Additionally, SolarWinds recommends running the database server

on the same physical server running the Web Help Desk instance.
3 MD5 authentication is not supported.

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Enable FIPS in a new deployment

If you are installing Web Help Desk for the first time in a new deployment, all cryptographic modules
incorporated in Web Help Desk 12.4.0 and later are FIPS 140-2 compliant.

DEPLOYMENT CHECKLIST
Use the following checklist to guide you through the deployment procedures.

1. Review the requirements to ensure your current deployment will support FIPS 140-2 compliant
cryptography.
2. Download Web Help Desk from the Customer Portal.
3. Install Web Help Desk in your deployment.
4. Install Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 in your deployment.
This software is included with your Web Help Desk installation package.

5. Update the Environment Variables Path setting in your Windows Server operating system.
6. Enable FIPS mode on your Apache Tomcat server.
a. Stop Web Help Desk.
b. Install the preconfigured Web Help Desk files for FIPS deployment.
c. Edit the etc\hosts file.
d. Edit the whd.conf file.
If you are installing Web Help Desk in the default <WebHelpDesk> directory, go to step 7.
If you are installing Web Help Desk in a separate directory:
a. Edit the tomcat_server_template.xml file.
b. Edit the java.security file.
c. Edit the pkcs11_nss.cfg file.
7. Create a Web Help Desk server certificate by obtaining a signed certificate by a trusted CA or
creating and using a self-signed certificate.
8. Complete the final installation steps.
9. Set up your SolarWinds Integration and email. If you are using self-signed certificates on the
SolarWinds Integration servers or email servers, add these certificates into the Web Help Desk NSS
database.

REVIEW THE REQUIREMENTS

Ensure that your Web Help Desk deployment meets all component requirements for enabling FIPS 140-2
compliant cryptography.

DOWNLOAD WEB HELP DESK 12.4.0 OR LATER

You can download Web Help Desk from the Customer Portal. This version includes:

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 l NSS binaries
l An empty NSS database in FIPS mode
l A security provider configuration file

The NSS-related files are stored in your <WebHelpDesk> home directory.

INSTALL WEB HELP DESK IN YOUR DEPLOYMENT

After you complete the installation steps, a window opens in your default web browser, prompting you to
select a database type. Do not select any database type. Minimize the browser window and go to step 5.

You will continue the Getting Started Wizard in a later step.

INSTALL VISUAL C++ REDISTRIBUTABLE PACKAGES FOR VISUAL

STUDIO 2013
This software is included with your Web Help Desk 12.4.0 or later installation package.

When you execute the installer, it installs the runtime components required to run C++ applications in
Microsoft® Visual Studio 2013 for a 64-bit environment.

1. Navigate to your <WebHelpDesk> directory,

2. Launch the vcredist_64.exe file.
3. Follow the prompts in the wizard to install the software.

UPDATE THE ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES PATH SETTING IN YOUR

WINDOWS SERVER OPERATING SYSTEM
The following procedure describes how to edit the Environment Variables settings in your Windows Server
operating system. When completed, you can run Web Help Desk commands in a command prompt without
having to change directories in the prompt.

See the Microsoft TechNet website for information about locating the Environment Variables properties in
your operating system

1. Press <Windows> + <Pause>.

2. Click Advanced System Settings.
3. Click the Advanced tab.
4. Click Environment Variables.
5. Under System Variables, select the PATH variable.

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6. Update the PATH string with the following path to your nss-x64 library:
<WebHelpDesk>\bin\nss-x64\lib\;
where <WebHelpDesk> is the path to your Web Help Desk directory.
Below is an example of the system PATH variable.

%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;%SYSTEMROOT
%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\DTS\Binn\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft
SQL Server\110\DTS\Binn\

When you append the path with your nss-x64 library path, the path displays as follows:

C:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-
x64\lib\;%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;%S
YSTEMROOT%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft
SQL Server\110\DTS\Binn\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft
SQL Server\110\DTS\Binn\

ENABLE FIPS MODE ON YOUR APACHE TOMCAT SERVER

In the following procedures, <WebHelpDesk> represents the Web Help Desk home folder on your system.
For example: c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk.

STOP WEB HELP DESK

1. Navigate to the <WebHelpDesk> directory.

2. Right-click whd_stop.bat and select Run as administrator.
Web Help Desk is stopped.

INSTALL THE PRECONFIGURED WEB HELP DESK FILES FOR FIPS DEPLOYMENT
When completed, you can use the drag and drop feature for FIPS configuration.

1. Navigate to the following directory:

<WebHelpDesk>\conf\additional\fips-140-2\WebHelpDesk - clean install
2. Copy all files, including the \bin and \conf directories.
3. Navigate to the <WebHelpDesk> directory.

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 4. Paste your copied files into the directory, overwriting all existing files.
If you are prompted to copy the tomcat_server_template.xml file, choose the copy and
replace option.

EDIT THE ETC\HOSTS FILE

Edit the hosts file to allow the local domain to be resolved correctly.

1. Determine if you want to define a host name specifically for Web Help Desk that is different from the
real server host name registered in DNS.
If you are using the existing host name, go to Edit the whd.conf file.
If you are defining a new host name, go to step 2.
2. Open the following file in a text editor:
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
3. Add the following string in the file:
127.0.0.1 mywebhelpdesk.mydomain
where mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is the domain name you chose for WebHelpDesk and will be
used for the remaining procedures.
4. Save and close the file.

EDIT THE WHD.CONF FILE

1. Open the following file in a text editor:

<WebHelpDesk>\conf\whd.conf
2. Ensure that the following string is uncommented and includes a port number that is not occupied by
another process:
HTTPS_PORT=443
3. Locate and follow the instructions in the # Privileged networks section to populate
PRIVILEGED_NETWORKS= with the IP address or IP address range where the Web Help Desk host
belongs.
Use a valid IP address and not a loopback address.
For example:
PRIVILEGED_NETWORKS=10.20.30.40
or
PRIVILEGED_NETWORKS=10.20.30.*
4. Add the following WHD_HOST variable:
WHD_HOST=mywebhelpdesk.mydomain
where mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is the domain name you chose for your installation.
5. Save and close the file.

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6. If you are installing Web Help Desk in the default <WebHelpDesk> directory, go to Create a Web
Help Desk server certificate.
If you are installing Web Help Desk in another location, edit the following files:
l tomcat_server_template.xml
l java.security
l pkcs11_nss.cfg

(OPTIONAL) EDIT THE TOMCAT_SERVER_TEMPLATE.XML FILE

If you are installing Web Help Desk in the default <WebHelpDesk> directory, go to Create a Web Help
Desk server certificate.

If you are installing Web Help Desk in another location, update the path to the nss-x64 in the tomcat_
server_template.xml file.

1. Open the following file in a text editor:

<WebHelpDesk>\conf\tomcat_server_template.xml
2. Locate the SSL HTTP/1.1 connector section, as shown below.

<!-- Define a SSL HTTP/1.1 Connector on port @@@WEBHELPDESK_SSL_PORT@@@

This connector uses the JSSE configuration, when using APR, the
connector should be using the OpenSSL style configuration
described in the APR documentation.
@@@WEBHELPDESK_SSL_START@@@
...
...
@@@WEBHELPDESK_SSL_STOP@@@ -->

3. Update the path to the nss-x64 in the code.

a. Locate the following path:
c:\\Program Files\\WebHelpDesk\\
b. Replace this path with the path to your Web Help Desk installation.
Be sure to include the double slashes ( \\ ) as path delimiters.

4. Save and close the file.

(OPTIONAL) EDIT THE JAVA.SECURITY FILE

If you are installing Web Help Desk in the default <WebHelpDesk> directory, go to Create a Web Help
Desk server certificate.

If you are installing Web Help Desk in another directory, update the java.security file with the
appropriate path.

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 1. Navigate to the following directory:
<WebHelpDesk>\bin\jre\lib\security
2. Open the java.security file in a text editor.
3. In the file, locate the following path:
c:\\Program\ Files\\WebHelpDesk\\
4. Replace this path with the path to your Web Help Desk installation.
Be sure to include the double slashes ( \\ ) as path delimiters.

Use single slashes for escape spaces. For example: Program\ Files.

(OPTIONAL) EDIT THE PKCS11_NSS.CFG FILE

If you are installing Web Help Desk in the default <WebHelpDesk> directory, go to Create a Web Help
Desk server certificate.

If you are installing Web Help Desk in a different location, perform the following steps:

1. Open the following file in a text editor:

<WebHelpDesk>\bin\nss-x64\config\pkcs11_nss.cfg
2. Locate the following strings:
nssLibraryDirectory = "c:\\Program Files\\WebHelpDesk\\bin\\nss-x64\\lib"
nssSecmodDirectory = "c:\\Program Files\\WebHelpDesk\\bin\\nss-x64\\dbnss"
3. In each string, replace:
c:\\Program Files\\WebHelpDesk
with the path to your Web Help Desk installation.
Be sure to include the double slashes ( \\ ) as path delimiters.

4. Save and close the file.

CREATE A WEB HELP DESK SERVER CERTIFICATE

This procedure describes how to obtain a signed certificate by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) or create
and use a self-signed certificate.

Creating a self-signed certificate should only be used in test environments and is not recommended
for production environments.

To create a Web Help Desk server certificate, select one of the following options:

l Obtain a signed certificate by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA). This procedure creates a certificate
for a production environment. The certificate is signed by a world-wide trusted CA (such as
Verisign® or Globalsign®) and may require several weeks to certify and receive.

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l Create and use a self-signed certificate. This procedure creates a certificate for a test environment
and is not recommended for a production environment. The certificate is signed by your
organization and is ready to use after you complete the procedure.

If you currently have a signed certificate for your NSS database, you can skip this procedure.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

If you are running Internet Explorer to access Web Help Desk, add your Web Help Desk URL as a trusted
site or designate the URL as an Intranet connection in the security settings. This process will prevent the
default security settings in Internet Explorer from blocking Javascript code used for navigating through the
Getting Started wizard.

OBTAIN A SIGNED CERTIFICATE BY A TRUSTED CA

1. Locate and open the copy_paste.txt file located at:

<WebHelpDesk>\conf\additional\fips-140-2\WebHelpDesk - clean install
This file contains code for the proceeding steps.
2. Generate a certificate sign request using the NSS tools.
a. Open a command prompt window.
b. At the prompt, enter:
cd c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\bin\
c. Create a certificate signing request.
The default password to your NSS database is P@ssw0rd.
Copy and paste the following code from the copy-paste.txt file to the command prompt
and execute:

.\certutil -R -s CN=mywebhelpdesk.mydomain, O=My_company, L=My_

location, ST=My_state, C=My_country -p My_phone -o "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss\mycert.req" -d "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss" -Z SHA256

where mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is your Web Help Desk domain name and My_location,
My_state, and so on is specific to your deployment.
Change the path to mycert.req if you want to use a different location.

3. Send the generated file to a trusted CA (such as Verisign) to validate the certificate identity.
The CA validates the certificate, and then sends the validated certificate back to you. This process
may require several weeks to complete.

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 4. Import the certificate into your NSS database.
a. Open a command prompt window.
b. At the prompt, enter:
cd c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\bin\
c. Copy and paste the following code from the copy-paste.txt file to the command prompt
and execute:

.\certutil -A -n tomcat -t "TCu,TCu,TCu" -i "c:\Program

Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss\mycert.crt" -d "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss"

Change the path to mycert.crt if you want to use a different location.

d. When prompted, enter the password to your NSS database.

The default password is:
P@ssw0rd
e. Verify that the certificate is stored in your NSS database.
At the prompt, execute:
.\certutil -L -d ../dbnss
5. Go to Complete the installation.

CREATE AND USE A SELF-SIGNED CERTIFICATE

Perform the following procedure only if you did not obtain a signed certificate by a trusted Certificate
Authority (CA).

The default password to your NSS database is P@ssw0rd.

1. Locate and open the copy-paste.txt file located at

<WebHelpDesk>\conf\additional\fips-140-2\.
This file contains code for the proceeding steps.
2. Open a command prompt and navigate to:
<WebHelpDesk>\bin\nss-x64\bin\

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3. Create a certificate signing request.

Copy and paste the following code from the copy-paste.txt file to the command prompt and
execute:

.\certutil -R -s CN=mywebhelpdesk.mydomain, O=My_company, L=My_location,

ST=My_state, C=My_country -p My_phone -o
"c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss\mycert.req" -d
"c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss" -Z SHA256

where:
l mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is the Web Help Desk domain name you configured for the
WHD_HOST variable in the whd.conf file.
l My_location, My_state, and so on is specific to your deployment.
l c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk is the location of your current Web Help Desk
installation. Adjust this path if yourWeb Help Desk software is installed in a non-standard
location.
Change the path to mycert.req if you want to use a different location.

4. Follow the prompts after each .\certutil command line to complete the certificate signing
request.
When prompted for the default NSS database password, enter:
P@ssw0rd
5. Create a certificate called myissuer that will be used as the local CA to sign the tomcat certificate.
Copy and paste the following code from the copy-paste.txt file to the command prompt and
execute:

.\certutil -S -s "CN=My Issuer" -n myissuer -x -t "TCu,TCu,TCu" -d

"c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss" -Z SHA256

where c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk is the location of your current Web Help Desk
installation.
Adjust this path if your Web Help Desk software is installed in a non-standard location.

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 6. Sign your certificate request.
Copy and paste the following code from the copy-paste.txt file to the command prompt and
execute:

.\certutil -C -i "c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-

x64\dbnss\mycert.req" -o "c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-
x64\dbnss\mycert.crt" -c myissuer -d "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss" -Z SHA256

where c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk is the location of your current Web Help Desk
installation. Adjust this path if your Web Help Desk software is installed in a non-standard location.
Change the path to mycert.crt if you want to use a different location.
When completed, a success message will not appear in the command prompt.
7. Import the self-signed certificate into your NSS database.
Change the path to mycert.crt if you want to use a different location.
Copy and paste the following code from the copy-paste.txt file to the command prompt and
execute:

.\certutil -A -n tomcat -t "TCu,TCu,TCu" -i "c:\Program

Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss\mycert.crt" -d "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss"

where c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk is the location of your current Web Help Desk
installation. Adjust this path if your Web Help Desk software is installed in a non-standard location.
When completed, a success message will not appear in the command prompt.
8. Close the command prompt window.
9. Start Web Help Desk.
Navigate to your <WebHelpDesk> directory, right-click whd.bat start, and select Run as
administrator.
The following steps describe how to import certificates into your Trusted Root CA and Trusted
Publishers stores using Internet Explorer 9 or later. If you are using another type of web
browser, see your web browser documentation for information about importing certificates
into these stores.

10. Open Internet Explorer and navigate to:

https://mywebhelpdesk.mydomain
where mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is your Web Help Desk domain name.
A certificate error message displays.

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11. Import the CA certificate into the Trusted Root CA store of your operating system.
a. In your web browser, click Proceed anyway.
b. Double-click Certificate error.
c. Click View Certificate and select Certification path tab > My Issuer > View Certificate > Install
Certificate.
d. Select Local Machine > TRUSTED ROOT CERTIFICATION AUTHORITIES and click Next.
e. Click Finish.
f. Click OK.
12. Import the server certificate into the Trusted Publishers store.
a. In your web browser, click Proceed anyway.
b. In your web browser, double-click Certificate error.
c. Click View Certificate and select General tab > Install Certificate.
d. Select Local Machine > TRUSTED PUBLISHERS and click Next.
e. Click Finish.
f. Press F5 to refresh the web page.
If Web Help Desk is not loaded after pressing F5, stop and then restart Web Help Desk.

COMPLETE THE INSTALLATION

1. In the Getting Started Wizard, select the embedded database option.
2. Complete the remaining steps in the Getting Started Wizard.
3. Navigate to your Web Help Desk URL.
4. Log in to Web Help Desk using admin as your user name and password.
5. In the toolbar, click Setup and select General > Options.
6. In the Server DNS Name field, enter your Web Help Desk fully qualified domain name.
7. Set Force HTTPS to Always.
8. Click Save.
9. Update your Web Help Desk password to a secure password.
10. Activate your Web Help Desk license.

SET UP SOLARWINDS INTEGRATION AND EMAIL

If you are using self-signed certificates on your SolarWinds Integration servers, email servers, email, or
third-party tools, you will need to add these certificates into the Web Help Desk NSS database. Below is an
example for the Orion connection.

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 1. Open a Web browser window and navigate to:
https://ORION_IP_Address:17778/SolarWinds/InformationService/v3/OrionBasic/
2. Export the certificate into a file in .cer format.
a. Click the lock icon next to the URL address and select Certificate Information > Details > Copy
to File.
b. Follow the prompts in the export wizard, selecting the .der format of the exported
certificate.
3. Open a command prompt window.
At the prompt, enter:
cd c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\bin\
4. Import the certificate.
At the prompt, enter:
certutil -A -t "CT,C,C" -d ..\dbnss -n orion_cert -i c:\<path_to_exported_
cert>\previously_exported_cert.cer

Enable FIPS in an existing deployment

If you are installing Web Help Desk in an existing deployment, SolarWinds recommends following the
procedures in this section to upgrade your existing deployment to FIPS 140-2 compliance.

Enabling FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography in an existing deployment is optional and is not
required to continue using Web Help Desk. Your database is still protected from unauthorized
users, whether or not you use the tool. You can maintain your current deployment configuration if
you believe that your corporate enterprise is secure and does not require the added security of FIPS
140-2 cryptography.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you enable FIPS in your existing deployment, verify that:

l Web Help Desk is installed in your deployment.

l Your database is not connected to Web Help Desk using an SSL connection.
l Your Web Help Desk hostname is configured in the General Options screen at Setup > General >
Options.

DEPLOYMENT CHECKLIST
Use the following checklist to guide you through the deployment procedures.

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1. Review the requirements.

2. Ensure you are running Web Help Desk 12.4.0 or later. Upgrade the application, if required.
3. Ensure the Web Help Desk hostname located in the Setup > General > Options > General Options
screen is correct. This hostname will be used throughout this procedure to configure FIPS in your
deployment.
4. Install Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 in your deployment.
This software is included with your Web Help Desk installation package.

5. Update the Environment Variables Path setting in your Windows Server operating system.
6. Enable FIPS mode on your Apache Tomcat server.
a. Stop Web Help Desk.
b. Install the preconfigured Web Help Desk files for FIPS deployment.
c. Edit the wrapper_template.conf file.
d. Edit the etc\hosts file.
e. Edit the whd.conf file.
If you installed Web Help Desk in the default <WebHelpDesk> directory, go to the next step.
If you installed Web Help Desk in a separate directory:
a. (Optional) Edit the tomcat_server_template.xml file.
b. (Optional) Edit the java.security file.
c. (Optional) Edit the pkcs11_nss.cfg file.
7. Create a Web Help Desk server certificate for your NSS database by obtaining a signed certificate by
a trusted CA or creating and using a self-signed certificate.
8. Complete the final installation steps.
9. Set up your SolarWinds Integration and email. If you are using self-signed certificates on the
SolarWinds Integration servers or email servers, add these certificates into the Web Help Desk NSS
database.

REVIEW THE REQUIREMENTS

Ensure that your Windows operating system and database software meets the component requirements
for FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography.

Web Help Desk 12.4.0 and later does not support FIPS 140-2 compliance in Windows 32-bit, Apple®
OS X, and Linux operating systems.

ENSURE YOU ARE RUNNING WEB HELP DESK 12.4.0 OR LATER

The FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography is only supported in Web Help Desk 12.4.0 and later.

If you are currently running version 12.4.0 or later, go to the next section. If you are not running Web Help
Desk 12.4.0 or later, download the software from the Customer Portal.

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This version includes:

l NSS binaries
l An empty NSS database in FIPS mode
l The security provider configuration file

The NSS-related files are stored in your <WebHelpDesk> home folder.

ENSURE THAT THE WEB HELP DESK HOSTNAME IS CORRECT

The Web Help Desk hostname will be used throughout this procedure to configure FIPS in your
deployment.

1. Click Setup in the toolbar and select General > Options.

2. In the General Options screen, ensure that the Web Help Desk Name field contains the correct
hostname.

INSTALL VISUAL C++ REDISTRIBUTABLE PACKAGES FOR VISUAL

STUDIO 2013
This software is included with your Web Help Desk 12.4.0 and later installation package. When you execute
the installer, it installs the runtime components required to run C++ applications in Visual Studio 2013 for
a 64-bit environment.

When you run the installation program, select vcredist_64.exe and install the software in your
<WebHelpDesk> directory.

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UPDATE THE ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES PATH SETTING IN YOUR

WINDOWS SERVER OPERATING SYSTEM
The following procedure describes how to edit the Environment Variables settings in your Windows Server
operating system. When completed, you can run Web Help Desk commands in a command prompt without
having to change directories in the prompt.

See the Microsoft TechNet website for information about locating the Environment Variables properties in
your operating system

1. In your Windows Server operating system, locate and open the Environment Variables properties.
2. In the Environment Variables properties, locate Path in the System Variables.
3. Open the PATH string in Edit mode.
4. Update the PATH string with the following path to your nss-x64 library:

<WebHelpDesk>\bin\nss-x64\lib\;

where <WebHelpDesk> is the path to your Web Help Desk directory.

Below is an example of the system PATH variable.

%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;%SYSTEMROOT
%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\DTS\Binn\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft
SQL Server\110\DTS\Binn\

When you append the path with your nss-x64 library path, the path displays as follows:

C:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-
x64\lib\;%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;%S
YSTEMROOT%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft
SQL Server\110\DTS\Binn\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL
Server\110\Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft
SQL Server\110\DTS\Binn\

ENABLE FIPS MODE ON YOUR APACHE TOMCAT SERVER

In the following procedures, <WebHelpDesk> represents the Web Help Desk home folder on your
system. For example: c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk.

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STOP WEB HELP DESK

1. Navigate to the <WebHelpDesk> directory.

2. Right-click whd_stop.bat and select Run as administrator.
Web Help Desk is stopped.

INSTALL THE PRECONFIGURED WEB HELP DESK FILES FOR FIPS DEPLOYMENT
When completed, you can use the drag and drop feature for FIPS configuration.

1. Navigate to the following directory:

<WebHelpDesk>\conf\additional\fips-140-2\WebHelpDesk - upgrade
2. Copy all files, including the \bin and \conf directories.
3. Navigate to the <WebHelpDesk> directory.
4. Paste your copied files into the directory, overwriting all existing files.
If you are prompted to copy the tomcat_server_template.xml file, choose the copy and replace
option.

EDIT THE WRAPPER_TEMPLATE.CONF FILE

1. Open the following file in a text editor:

<WebHelpDesk>\bin\wrapper\conf\wrapper_template.conf
2. Locate the following section:

wrapper.java.additional.1=-XX:MaxPermSize=@@@WHD_MAX_PERM_MEMORY@@@m
wrapper.java.additional.2=-Djava.endorsed.dirs=../../../conf/endorsed
wrapper.java.additional.3-Dcatalina.base=../../tomcat
...
...
wrapper.java.additional.17=-DWHDWebObjectsMonitorDeployment=false

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3. Add the following strings in the code:

wrapper.java.additional.XX=-DWHDnss
wrapper.java.additional.XX=-Djavax.net.ssl.keyStore=NONE
wrapper.java.additional.XX=-Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=NONE
where XX equals the next incremented number in the section.
If you do not have any customizations in this file, you can use section 1 in the copy_paste.txt file
to copy from and paste into your wrapper_template.conf file. The copy_paste.txt file is
located in the following directory:
<WebHelpDesk>\conf\additional\fips-140-2\WebHelpDesk - upgrade\
For example:

# Java Additional Parameters

wrapper.java.additional.1=-XX:MaxPermSize=@@@WHD_MAX_PERM_MEMORY@@@m
wrapper.java.additional.2=-Djava.endorsed.dirs=../../../conf/endorsed
...
wrapper.java.additional.17=-DWHDWebObjectsMonitorDeployment=false
wrapper.java.additional.18=-DWHDnss

4. Save and close the file.

EDIT THE ETC\HOSTS FILE

Edit the hosts file to allow the local domain to be resolved correctly.

1. Open the following file in a text editor:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
2. Determine if you want to define a host name specifically for Web Help Desk that is different from the
real server host name registered in DNS.
To use the existing host name, go to the next step.
To define a new host name, add the following string:
<Web Help Desk server IP address> mywebhelpdesk.mydomain
where mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is the domain name used for the remaining procedures.
3. Add the following string in the file:
127.0.0.1 mywebhelpdesk.mydomain
4. Save and close the file.

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EDIT THE WHD.CONF FILE

1. Open the following file in a text editor:

<WebHelpDesk>\conf\whd.conf
2. Ensure that the following string is uncommented and includes a port number that is not occupied by
another process:
HTTPS_PORT=443
If you are upgrading your deployment to FIPS 140-2 compliance, add this string to the file.
3. Locate and follow the instructions in the # Privileged networks section to populate
PRIVILEGED_NETWORKS= with the IP address or IP address range where the Web Help Desk host
belongs.
For example:
PRIVILEGED_NETWORKS=12.20.30.40
or
PRIVILEGED_NETWORKS=12.20.30.*
4. Uncomment the following WHD_HOST variable:
WHD_HOST=mywebhelpdesk.mydomain
5. Save and close the file.
6. If you installed Web Help Desk in the default <WebHelpDesk> directory, go to Create a Web Help
Desk server certificate.
If you installed Web Help Desk in another location, edit the following files:
l tomcat_server_template.xml
l java.security
l pkcs11_nss.cfg

(OPTIONAL) EDIT THE TOMCAT_SERVER_TEMPLATE.XML FILE

1. Open the following file in a text editor:

<WebHelpDesk>\conf\tomcat_server_template.xml
2. Locate the SSL HTTP/1.1 connector section, as shown below.

<!-- Define a SSL HTTP/1.1 Connector on port @@@WEBHELPDESK_SSL_PORT@@@

This connector uses the JSSE configuration, when using APR, the
connector should be using the OpenSSL style configuration
described in the APR documentation.
@@@WEBHELPDESK_SSL_START@@@
...
...
@@@WEBHELPDESK_SSL_STOP@@@ -->

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3. Replace the code between

@@@WEBHELPDSK_SSL_START@@@
and
@@@WEBHELPDESK_SSL_STOP@@@
with the code included in the copy_paste.txt file, where c:\\Program
Files\\WebHelpDesk\\ is the path to your default WebHelpDesk installation directory.
Be sure to include the double slashes ( \\ ) as path delimiters.

4. If you are installing Web Help Desk in a non-default location, update the path to the nss-x64 in
the code.

(OPTIONAL) EDIT THE JAVA.SECURITY FILE

1. Open the following file in a text editor:

<WebHelpDesk>\bin\jre\lib\security\java.security
2. Locate the following section:

security.provider.1=sun.security.provider.Sun
security.provider.2=sun.security.rsa.SunRsaSign
security.provider.3=sun.security.ec.sunEC
security.provider.4=com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Provider
security.provider.5=com.sun.crypto.provider.SunJCE
security.provider.6=sun.security.jgss.SunProvider
security.provider.7=com.sun.security.sasl.Provider
security.provider.8=org.jcp.xml.dsig.internal.dom.SMLDSigRI
security.provider.9=sun.security.smartcardio.SunPCSC
security.provider.10=sun.security.mscapi.SunMSCAPI

3. Remove the following string:

security.provider.4=com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Provider
4. Add the following strings before security.provider.5=com.sun.crypto.provider.SunJCE:

security.provider.XX=sun.security.pkcs11.SunPKCS11 c:\\Program\
Files\\WebHelpDesk\\bin\\nss-x64\\config\\pkcs11_nss.cfg
security.provider.XX=com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Provider SunPKCS11-
NSScrypto

where XX equals the appropriate string increment number.

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 5. Adjust the increment numbers of each string so they are in sequential order (such as 1, 2, 3, and so
on).
When completed, this section should appear exactly as follows:

security.provider.1=sun.security.provider.Sun
security.provider.2=sun.security.rsa.SunRsaSign
security.provider.3=sun.security.ec.SunEC
security.provider.4=sun.security.pkcs11.SunPKCS11 c:\\Program\
Files\\WebHelpDesk\\bin\\nss-x64\\config\\pkcs11_nss.cfg
security.provider.5=com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Provider SunPKCS11-
NSScrypto
security.provider.6=com.sun.crypto.provider.SunJCE
security.provider.7=sun.security.jgss.SunProvider
security.provider.8=com.sun.security.sasl.Provider
security.provider.9=org.jcp.xml.dsig.internal.dom.XMLDSigRI
security.provider.10=sun.security.smartcardio.SunPCSC
security.provider.11=sun.security.mscapi.SunMSCAPI
keystore.type=PKCS11

6. Locate and comment out the following string:

keystore.type=jks
For example:
# keystore.type=jks
7. Save and close the file.

(OPTIONAL) EDIT THE PKCS11_NSS.CFG FILE

Edit this file only if Web Help Desk was not installed in the following location:

c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk

1. Open the following file in a text editor:

<WebHelpDesk>\bin\nss-x64\config\pkcs11_nss.cfg
2. Locate the following strings:
nssLibraryDirectory = "c:\\Program Files\\WebHelpDesk\\bin\\nss-x64\\lib"
nssSecmodDirectory = "c:\\Program Files\\WebHelpDesk\\bin\\nss-x64\\dbnss"
3. In each string, replace:
c:\\Program Files\\WebHelpDesk
with the path to your Web Help Desk installation.
Be sure to include the double slashes ( \\ ) as path delimiters.

4. Save and close the file.

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CREATE A SIGNED WEB HELP DESK CERTIFICATE FOR YOUR NSS

DATABASE
Create a Web Help Desk server certificate by obtaining a signed certificate by a trusted CA or creating and
using a self-signed certificate.

If you currently have a signed certificate for your NSS database, you can skip this procedure.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

If you are running Internet Explorer to access Web Help Desk, add your Web Help Desk URL as a trusted
site or designate the URL as an Intranet connection in the security settings. This process will prevent the
default security settings in Internet Explorer from blocking Javascript code used for navigating through the
Getting Started wizard.

OBTAIN A SIGNED CERTIFICATE BY A TRUSTED CA

This procedure creates a certificate for a production environment. The certificate is signed by a world-wide
trusted CA (such as Verisign® or Globalsign®) and may require several weeks to certify and receive.

1. Generate a certificate sign request using the NSS tools.

a. Open a command prompt window.
b. At the prompt, enter:
cd c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\bin\
c. Create a certificate signing request.
The default password to your NSS database is P@ssw0rd.

Change the path to mycert.req if you want to use a different location.

At the prompt, execute:

.\certutil -R -s CN=mywebhelpdesk.mydomain, O=My_company, L=My_

location, ST=My_state, C=My_country -p My_phone -o "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss\mycert.req" -d "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss" -Z SHA256

where mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is your Web Help Desk domain name and My_location,
My_state, and so on is specific to your deployment.
2. Send the generated file to a trusted CA (such as Verisign) to validate the certificate identity.
The CA validates the certificate, and then sends the validated certificate back to you. This process
may require several weeks to complete.

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 3. Import the certificate into your NSS database.
a. Open a command prompt window.
b. At the prompt, enter:
cd c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\bin\
c. At the prompt, execute:
Change the path to mycert.crt if you want to use a different location

.\certutil -A -n tomcat -t "TCu,TCu,TCu" -i "c:\Program

Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss\mycert.crt" -d "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss"

d. When prompted, enter the password to your NSS database.

The default password is:
P@ssw0rd
e. When prompted, enter the password for your Web Help Desk private key.
The default password is:
changeit
f. Verify that the certificate is stored in your NSS database.
At the prompt, execute:
.\certutil -L -d ../dbnss
4. Start Web Help Desk.
Navigate to your <WebHelpDesk> directory, right-click whd_start.bat, and select Run as
administrator.
5. Open a web browser and navigate to:
https://mywebhelpdesk.mydomain:443/helpdesk/
where mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is your Web Help Desk domain name.
If you configured HTTPS_PORT differently in an earlier step, choose a port other than port
443.

6. In the toolbar, click Setup and select General > Options.

7. In the Server DNS Name field, enter your Web Help Desk domain name.
8. Set Force HTTPS to Always.
9. Click Save.
The FIPS configuration is completed. Your Web Help Desk deployment is running in FIPS compliant
security mode. Do not go to the next section.

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CREATE AND USE A SELF-SIGNED CERTIFICATE

This procedure creates a certificate for a test environment and is not recommended for a production
environment. The certificate is signed by your organization and is ready to use after you complete the
procedure. Self-signed certificate should only be used in test environments and is not recommended for
production environments.

Perform the following procedure only if you did not obtain a signed certificate by a trusted Certificate
Authority (CA).

The default password to your NSS database is P@ssw0rd.

1. Open a command prompt and navigate to:

<WebHelpDesk>\bin\nss-x64\bin\
2. Create a certificate signing request.
Change the path to mycert.req if you want to use a different location.
At the command prompt, execute:

.\certutil -R -s CN=mywebhelpdesk.mydomain, O=My_company, L=My_location,

ST=My_state, C=My_country -p My_phone -o "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss\mycert.req" -d "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss" -Z SHA256

where:
l mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is the Web Help Desk domain name you configured for the
WHD_HOST variable in the whd.conf file.
l My_location, My_state, and so on is specific to your deployment.
l c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk is the location of your current Web Help Desk
installation. Adjust this path if your Web Help Desk software is installed in a non-standard
location.
3. Follow the prompts after each .\certutil command line to complete the certificate signing
request.
When prompted for the default NSS database password, enter:
P@ssw0rd

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 4. Create a certificate called myissuer that will be used as the local CA to sign the tomcat certificate.
At the command prompt, execute:

.\certutil -S -s "CN=My Issuer" -n myissuer -x -t "TCu,TCu,TCu" -d

"c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss" -Z SHA256

where c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk is the location of your current Web Help Desk
installation. Adjust this path if your Web Help Desk software is installed in a non-standard location.
5. Sign your certificate request.
Change the path to mycert.crt if you want to use a different location.
At the command prompt, execute:

.\certutil -C -i "c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-

x64\dbnss\mycert.req" -o "c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-
x64\dbnss\mycert.crt" -c myissuer -d "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss" -Z SHA256

where c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk is the location of your current Web Help Desk
installation. Adjust this path if your Web Help Desk software is installed in a non-standard location.
When completed, a success message will not appear in the command prompt.

6. Import the self-signed certificate into your NSS database.

Change the path to mycert.crt if you want to use a different location.
At the command prompt, execute:

.\certutil -A -n tomcat -t "TCu,TCu,TCu" -i "c:\Program

Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss\mycert.crt" -d "c:\Program
Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\dbnss"

where c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk is the location of your current Web Help Desk
installation. Adjust this path if your Web Help Desk software is installed in a non-standard location.
When completed a success message will not appear in the command prompt.

7. Close the command prompt window.

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8. Start Web Help Desk.

Navigate to your <WebHelpDesk> directory, right-click whd.bat start, and select Run as
administrator.
Web Help Desk restarts.
The following steps describe how to import certificates into your Trusted Root CA and Trusted
Publishers stores using Internet Explorer 9 or later. If you are using another type of web
browser, see your web browser documentation for information about importing certificates
into these stores.

9. Open Internet Explorer and navigate to:

https://mywebhelpdesk.mydomain
where mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is your Web Help Desk domain name.
A certificate error message displays.
10. Import the CA certificate into the Trusted Root CA store of your operating system.
a. In your web browser, click Proceed anyway.
b. Double-click Certificate error.
c. Click View Certificate and select Certification path tab > My Issuer > View Certificate > Install
Certificate.
d. Select Local Machine > TRUSTED ROOT CERTIFICATION AUTHORITIES and click Next.
e. Click Finish.
f. Click OK.
11. Import the server certificate into the Trusted Publishers store.
a. In your web browser, click Proceed anyway.
b. In your web browser, double-click Certificate error.
c. Click View Certificate and select General tab > Install Certificate.
d. Select Local Machine > TRUSTED PUBLISHERS and click Next.
e. Click Finish.
f. Press F5 to refresh the web page.
g. If Web Help Desk is not loaded after pressing F5, stop and then restart Web Help Desk.
12. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.
13. Open a web browser and navigate to:
https://mywebhelpdesk.mydomain
where mywebhelpdesk.mydomain is your Web Help Desk domain name.
14. In the toolbar, click Setup and select General > Options.
15. In the Server DNS Name field, enter your Web Help Desk domain name.
16. Set Force HTTPS to Always.
17. Click Save.
Your Web Help Desk system is now in FIPS compliant security mode.

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COMPLETE THE INSTALLATION
1. In the Getting Started Wizard, select the embedded database option.
2. Complete the remaining steps in the Getting Started Wizard.
3. Navigate to your Web Help Desk URL.
4. Log in to Web Help Desk using admin as your user name and password.
5. In the toolbar, click Setup and select General > Options.
6. In the Server DNS Name field, enter your Web Help Desk fully qualified domain name.
7. Set Force HTTPS to Always.
8. Click Save.
9. Update your Web Help Desk password to a secure password.
10. Activate your Web Help Desk license.

SET UP YOUR SOLARWINDS INTEGRATION AND EMAIL

If you are using self-signed certificates on your SolarWinds Integration servers, email servers, email, or
third-party tools, you will need to add these certificates into the Web Help Desk NSS database.

Below is an example for the Orion connection.

1. Open a Web browser window and navigate to:

https://ORION_IP_Address:17778/SolarWinds/InformationService/v3/OrionBasic/
2. Export the certificate into a file in .cer format.
a. Click the lock icon next to the URL address and select Certificate Information > Details > Copy
to File.
b. Follow the prompts in the export wizard, selecting the .der format of the exported
certificate.
3. Open a command prompt window.
At the prompt, enter:
c:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\nss-x64\bin\
4. Import the certificate.
At the prompt, enter:
certutil -A -t "CT,C,C" -d ..\dbnss -n orion_cert -i c:\<path_to_exported_
cert>\previously_exported_cert.cer

Prepare for the database migration

After you enable FIPS 140-2 cryptography and complete the steps in the Getting Started wizard, schedule
and implement the appropriate procedures in your organization to prepare all stakeholders for the
database migration.

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The following illustration provides an overview of the database migration milestones using the Password
Security Migration Tool.

Install WHD 12.4.0 or later.

MILESTONE COMPLETED TASKS

1 Web Help Desk 12.4.0 or later is installed in your deployment.

You scheduled a date to invalidate all tech and client passwords in your current
Web Help Desk database stored with weaker cryptography and a date to verify
system status using the Audit Tool.

2 You configured a FIPS 140-2 cryptography provider in your Web Help Desk
deployment.

Web Help Desk begins using FIPS 140-2 cryptography for user passwords and a
non-FIPS provider for hash attachment links and third-party connection passwords.

All techs and clients are notified to log in to Web Help Desk before your scheduled
date.

3 The Web Help Desk Admin runs the Password Security Migration Tool.

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 MILESTONE COMPLETED TASKS

All non-migrated clients and techs using the non-FIPS provider are invalidated.
These users are forced to change their password before they can log in and access
the application.

All third-party connection passwords are re-encrypted to AES with the

FIPS provider.

To prepare for the database migration:

1. Schedule the migration.

Select a date to invalidate all passwords stored in your current Web Help Desk database stored with
weaker cryptography and a date to verify your system status.
2. Notify all techs and clients to log in to Web Help Desk.
Ensure that all clients and techs receive confirmation about the planned migration. Provide a
deadline date and ample time for all users to proactively log in to Web Help Desk.
If your clients and techs do not log in to Web Help Desk by the deadline date, they will be forced to
change their password after the migration before they can log in and access Web Help Desk.
3. Record your existing SolarWinds Integration configuration settings.
If you are connected to an external SolarWinds product (such as SolarWinds Network Performance
Monitor [NPM], SolarWinds Server and Application Monitor [SAM], or SolarWinds Network
Configuration Monitor [NCM] ), record your current configuration settings. All external SolarWinds
integration passwords will be updated to FIPS 140-2 cryptography during the database migration.
A list of SolarWinds connections display.
a. Click Setup and select SolarWinds Integration > SolarWinds Connection.
A list of SolarWinds connections appear.
b. Double-click a connection.
c. Record the connection information listed in the screen.
d. Click Next.
e. Record the filter settings listed on the screen.
f. In the SolarWinds Integration menu, click SolarWinds Connection.
g. Record the connection settings for any remaining connections.

Migrate user passwords to FIPS 140-2 cryptography

On a pre-scheduled date, execute the database compliance tool in Web Help Desk using your
administrator password to ensure that all client and tech account passwords are migrated to FIPS 140-2
cryptography. When completed, only the stored client and tech passwords using FIPS 140-2 cryptography
are validated.

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PREPARE FOR THE PASSWORD MIGRATION

1. Log on to Web Help Desk as an administrator.
2. Click Setup and select General > Authentication.
3. Scroll down to the Password Security Migration Tool window.
4. Click Check Password Security.
The tool scans all client and tech account passwords in your Web Help Desk database.
If all clients and techs have logged in to Web Help Desk 12.4.0 or later before the scheduled date, a
message displays stating that your database is now using strong cryptography and is FIPS 140-2
compliant.
If one or more clients or techs have not logged in to Web Help Desk before the scheduled date, Web
Help Desk lists the remaining number of client accounts and a list of tech accounts that require a
password change. The report will include third-party integration accounts that will be migrated
automatically without user intervention.
5. Decide whether to invalidate all passwords in your database using the weaker cryptography.
If you click No and do not invalidate all passwords, Web Help Desk will not erase any passwords from
your database that are using weaker cryptography.

EXECUTE THE PASSWORD MIGRATION

1. Click Yes to invalidate all passwords.
The following message displays:
Are you sure you want to erase all passwords that are using weaker cryptography?
Confirm by entering your Admin password below.
2. Enter your admin password in the appropriate field.
3. Click Yes to invalidate all passwords.
When completed, a message displays listing the reset client and tech passwords.
All clients who did not update their passwords are forced to create a new password when they log in
to Web Help Desk. Additionally, all future client and tech account passwords will be encrypted using
FIPS 140-2 cryptography.
4. Click Save.
The migration is completed.

NOTIFY ALL USERS THAT THE MIGRATION IS COMPLETED

All remaining users who did not change their passwords during the notification period must navigate to
the Log In page and click Forgot Password to change their password and access Web Help Desk.

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Configure and manage user authentication
After you set up authentication, configure and maintain single sign-on (SSO) and security authentication
for the Web Help Desk browser interface.

Web Help Desk does not support Windows Authentication for connections to Microsoft System
Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).

The following table provides a list of authentication methods and related terms.

TERM DESCRIPTION

Single Sign On A single point of access that links applications to one sign-on point.
(SSO)
Log in once and gain access to all linked systems without logging in
to each system. For example, when you log in to your Microsoft
Windows system, your user login provides SSO functionality to your
corporate network and email.

SSO uses SAML with Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) to
authenticate a user for multiple Web applications over the life of a
single online session.

Web Help Desk supports Security Assertion Markup Language 2.0

(SAML 2.0), Central Authentication Service 2.0 (CAS 2.0), and
Application Servlet SSO authentication.

See Deploy SSO with SAML using AD FS and Deploy SSO with CAS 2.0
for information about how to apply SSO in Web Help Desk.

Hypertext Transfer A secure encrypted communication channel between Web browsers

Protocol Secure and servers.
(HTTPS)
HTTPS is also known as HTTP Secure and HTTP over SSL.

See Enable HTTPS and Configure the server options for information
about setting up HTTPS.

Secure Socket Layer A cryptographic protocol that secures communications over a

(SSL) computer network.

SSL encrypts segments of network connections using a system that

requires two keys:

l Symmetric encryption (for privacy)

l Message authentication codes (for message integrity)

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TERM DESCRIPTION

The HTTPS channel is built by layering SSL security on top of HTTP.

When a web browser submits an HTTPS request to Web Help Desk,
the SSL protocol requires Web Help Desk to respond with a certificate
to prove the authenticity of the server.

The certificate contains a public key used for encryption and a digital
signature from a Certification Authority (CA). The digital signature
indicates which CA verified the authenticity of the server.

SSL certificates A data file that contains a cryptographic key that verifies the owner.

SSL certificates contain information about the owner, such as their

name, Website address, email address, length of time the certificate
is valid, and the digital signature of the person or entity who owns
the certificate.

For more information about using certificates in Web Help Desk, see
Manage keys and certificates.

Public and private keys Cryptographic keys that provide a secure method to transmit data
over computer networks.

SSL certificates contain a public and private key pair. The private key
contains the code and the public key decodes the private key. The
private key is installed on your server and kept secret. The public key
is incorporated into the SSL certificate and shared with web
browsers. The certificates included with your browser and
application contain the keys that can decrypt the application root
certificates.

See Manage keys and certificates for additional information about

using keys in Web Help Desk.

See the following sections for information about configuring and managing Web Help Desk SSO and
security authentication:

l Deploy SSO with SAML using AD FS

l Deploy SSO with CAS 2.0
l Enable HTTPS (Web Help Desk 12.5 and earlier)
l Configure the server options (Web Help Desk 12.5.1 and later)
l Manage keys and certificates

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Deploy SSO with SAML using AD FS
Configure SSO in Web Help Desk using Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) to enable users who log
in to the Microsoft Exchange Server to be automatically logged in to Web Help Desk.

If you are using Windows Server 2008 R2, you must upgrade to AD FS 2.0. The default on Windows
Server 2008 R2 is AD FS 1.0, which does not support SAML 2.0.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

1. Enable automatic AD logon through Microsoft Windows. Add the AD FS logon URL to the Local
Intranet sites in Internet Explorer through Tools > Internet options or through your corporate
group policy.
2. Set up your SAML server. Use an identity repository (such as AD FS or Light Directory Access
Protocol [LDAP]) in the remote login URL for your SAML server.
3. Enable SSL in your Web Help Desk installation. Use a trusted certificate or create your own
certificate.
When you create or generate a certificate, ensure that:
l The certificates are generated in the proper order.
The Common Name (CN) certificate attribute only contains the fully-qualified domain name
l

(FQDN) with no descriptions or comments. The exact value of this field is matched against the
domain name of the server to verify its identity.
See Working with Keys and Certificates for information about trusted certificates.
4. Configure Web Help Desk and the AD FS settings separately.
For information about configuring SSO with SAML using AD FS, see the AD FS 2.0 documentation
located on the Microsoft TechNet website.

CONFIGURE WEB HELP DESK FOR AD FS

In the following settings, replace mydomain.com with your domain name.

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.

2. Click Setup and select General > Authentication.
3. Click the Authentication drop-down menu and select SAML 2.0.
4. In the Sign-in page URL field, enter:
https://adfs.<mydomain.com>/adfs/ls
To bypass external authentication, add the following to your login URL:
?username=<username>&password=<password>
5. Click Upload to apply a Verification certificate and enable SSL.
Apply the same certificate used to sign the assertion in the of AD FS 2.0 Relying Party (RP) setting.

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6. In the Logout URL field, enter the following URL or leave this field blank to use the Web Help Desk
default logout page:
https://adfs.<mydomain.com>/adfs/ls
Web Help Desk redirects the users to this page to log out.

CONFIGURE SAML 2.0 ON THE AD FS SERVER

1. Enter the following AD FS 2.0 RP settings:
l Identifier: <mydomain.com>/helpdesk/WebObjects/Helpdesk.woa
l Signature: enter the name of the certificate you uploaded to Web Help Desk in the Web Help
Desk SAML configuration instructions.
l Endpoint: Binding: POST, URL: <server IP
address>/helpdesk/WebObjects/Helpdesk.woa
l Detail: Secure hash algorithm SHA-1
2. Enter the following AD FS 2.0 Log Out settings:
l Identifier: https://<mydomain.com us>/helpdesk/WebObjects/Helpdesk.woa
l Signature: use the same certificate as in step one.
l Endpoint: SAML Logout, Binding: POST, URL:
https://<ADFS_Server_fqdn>/<domain_name>/adfs/ls/?wa=wsignout1.0
l Detail: Secure hash algorithm SHA-1
3. Enter the following AD FS 2.0 Claim Mapping settings:
l Attribute store: Active Directory
l LDAP attribute: a user name or email address.
l Outgoing claim type: NameID

Deploy SSO with CAS 2.0

The Central Authentication Service (CAS) is a single sign-on (SSO) protocol that enables a user to access
multiple applications using one set of credentials. This protocol works in conjunction with the CAS server,
which handles all the user connections to your Microsoft Exchange and LDAP servers.

You can deploy CAS server into Apache Tomcat or your own Web Help Desk server.

DEPLOY CAS SERVER ON APACHE TOMCAT

Before you deploy single sign-on with CAS 2.0 in your Web Help Desk deployment, configure the CAS
module for LDAP and Active Directory communications.

1. Download the Jasiq CAS server web application file.

2. Update the file using the text files located in Configure the CAS module for LDAP and Active
Directory. When completed, set it up based on your system configuration.

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 3. Download and apply the dependencies.
4. Deploy the CAS server on your Apache Tomcat server.
5. Complete your CAS server deployment.

DOWNLOAD THE JASIQ CAS SERVER WEB APPLICATION FILE

1. Download the cas-server-webapp-3.5.2.zip file from the Apero website.

2. Open the ZIP file and navigate to cas-server-3.5.2\modules.
3. Extract cas-server-webapp-3.5.2.war from the modules directory.

UPDATE THE FILE

1. Rename the cas-server-webapp-3.5.2.war file to cas.zip.

2. Open the ZIP file as an archive.
3. Open the WEB-INF directory.
4. Open the deployerConfigContext.txt file in Notepad.
5. Open a web browser and access the following KB article in the SolarWinds Success Center:
Configure the CAS module for LDAP and Active Directory
6. Download the following files attached to the article:
l deployerconfigcontext.txt
l casproperties.txt
7. Open the deployerconfigcontext.txt file in Notepad.
8. Copy the file contents to the deployerConfigContext.txt file to overwrite the existing content.

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9. In the updated deployerConfigContext.txt file, update the file variables for your deployment.
a. Locate the following argument:

<property name="url" value="ldap://127.0.0.1:389" />

<!-- use ‘ldaps://’ for ssl connection -->

b. Replace the value variable with the IP address of your LDAP server.
c. Locate the following argument:

<property name="userDn" value="ldap_admin@yourdomain.com" />

d. Replace the value variable with the email address of your LDAP administrator.
e. Locate the following argument:

<property name="password" value="ldap_admin_password" />

f. Replace the value variable with your LDAP admin password.

g. Locate the following argument:

p:filter="sAMAccountName=%u" p:searchBase="DC=yourdomain,DC=com"

h. Ensure that the LDAP p:filter search filter matches your LDAP configuration settings.
i. Replace the p:searchBase variables with your domain settings.
j. Close the file.
10. Open the cas.properties file in Notepad.
11. Open the casproperties.txt file you downloaded from the KB article.
12. Copy and paste the cas.properties.txt file contents to the cas.properties file.

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 13. In the updated casproperties.txt file, update the file variables for your deployment.
a. Locate the following argument:

server.name=http://localhost:8080

b. Replace the server.name variable with a WHD server address. For example:

http://whd.yourdomain.com

c. Locate the following argument:

host.name=cas01.yourdomain.com

d. Replace the host.name variable with the provided prefix and your domain name.
e. Close the file.

DOWNLOAD AND APPLY THE DEPENDENCIES

1. Download the following dependencies in JAR format:

l CAS Server Support LDAP v3.5.2
l Commons Pool v1.6
l LDAPTIVE Core v1.0.5
l Spring LDAP v1.3.1 (All)
2. Open the cas.zip file and navigate to the WEB-INF/lib/ directory.
3. Copy all dependencies to the directory.
4. Rename the cas.zip file to cas.war.

DEPLOY CAS SERVER ON APACHE TOMCAT

1. Stop the Web Help Desk Service.

a. Open File Explorer and navigate to the <WebHelpDesk> directory.
b. Right-click whd_stop.bat and select Run as administrator.
The Web Help Desk service is stopped.
2. Copy the cas.war file to the /bin/webapps directory on your Apache Tomcat deployment.

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3. Start the Web Help Desk Service.

a. Open the <WebHelpDesk> directory.
b. Right-click whd_start.bat and select Run as administrator.
The Web Help Desk Service is started.
CAS 2.0 is now accessible from the following URL:
https://webhelpdesk:port/cas
4. Verify that the HTTPS port is enabled on Apache Tomcat.
l If the HTTPS port is not enabled, go to Enabling SSL on Web Help Desk.
l If the HTTPS port is enabled, go to Enable and deploy the Web Help Desk Server.

COMPLETE YOUR CAS SERVER DEPLOYMENT

Configure a Group Policy Object (GPO) to push the appropriate Windows login credentials to your Internet
Explorer settings. This process enables authenticated users to access the Web Help Desk server without
having to log in. GPOs define the settings for your Windows server configuration, and Group Policies apply
these settings.

See Configure a GPO to push Internet Explorer settings for more information.

ENABLE SSL ON WEB HELP DESK

1. On your Web Help Desk system, open File Explorer and navigate to:
<WebHelpDesk>/conf
2. In the conf directory, open the whd.conf file using a text editor.
3. In the file, comment out the following entry:
HTTPS_PORT=443
4. Save and close the file.
5. Use Porteclé to create a new certificate.
See Generating a New Certificate in Porteclé for more information.
6. Insert the certificate to the following location:
/conf/keystore.jks
7. Restart Web Help Desk.

DEPLOY CAS 2.0 ON THE WEB HELP DESK SERVER

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.
2. Click Setup > General > Authentication.
3. Click the Authentication Method drop-down menu and select CAS 2.0.
4. In the CAS login URL field, enter:
https://fqdn:port/cas/login
5. In the CAS validate URL field, enter:
https://fqdn:port/cas/serviceValidate

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 6. Under Verification certificate, click Upload and select a certificate that uses CAS for signing the
responses.
Select keystore.jks to upload the Web Help Desk Tomcat certificate.

7. In the Logout URL field, enter:

https://fqdn:port/cas/logout
8. Click Save.
You can now log in using CAS 2.0.

CONFIGURE A GPO TO PUSH INTERNET EXPLORER SETTINGS

Configure a Group Policy Object (GPO) to push the appropriate Windows login credentials to your Internet
Explorer settings. This process allows authenticated users to access the Web Help Desk server without
having to log in. GPOs define the settings for your Windows server configuration, and Group Policies apply
these settings.

1. Log in to the Web Help Desk domain using the Domain Administrator account.
2. Click Start and select Run.
3. In the Run field, enter the following command and then click OK:
mmc
The Microsoft Management Console displays.
4. In the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-In > Add.
5. In Available snap-ins, double-click Group Policy Management Editor and then click OK.
6. In Select Group Policy Object, click Browse.
7. In Domains, OUs, and linked Group Policy Objects, click Default Domain Policy, and then click OK.
8. Click Finish, and then click OK.
9. In the Default Domain [yourdomain.com] Policy console tree, expand the following path:
User Configuration, Policies, Windows Settings, Internet Explorer
Maintenance, Connection
10. Double-click Automatic Browser Configuration.
11. Clear the Automatically Detect Configuration Settings check box, and then click OK.
12. In the Default Domain [yourdomain.com] Policy console tree, expand the following path:
User Configuration, Policies, Windows Settings, Internet Explorer
Maintenance, Security Zones and Content Ratings
13. Click Import the current security zones and privacy settings.
14. When prompted, click Continue and then click Modify Settings.
15. In the Internet Properties dialog box, click the Security tab.
16. Click Local Intranet, and then click Sites.
17. In the Add this website to the zone field, enter:
*.yourdomain.com
18. Click Add.

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19. Select the Require server verification (https) for all sites in this zone check box.
20. Click Close.
21. Click OK.

Enable HTTPS
When a browser submits an HTTPS request to Web Help Desk, the SSL protocol requires Web Help Desk to
respond with a certificate to prove the authenticity of the server. Begin your security configuration by
enabling HTTPS.

Beginning in Web Help Desk 12.5.1, you can enable HTTPS in Server Options located at Setup >
General > Server Options.

To activate HTTPS in Web Help Desk:

1. Configure the HTTPS listening port to monitor HTTPS requests.

2. Configure a URL port to monitor URLs generated by Web Help Desk that point back to the
application.
3. Enable Web Help Desk to listen for HTTPS requests.
4. Enter the SSL connection port (if needed).
5. Restart Web Help Desk.

This procedure requires changes to the whd.conf file. Review the following procedures before you
enable HTTPS.

CONFIGURE THE HTTPS LISTENING PORT

Configure the listening port to listen for HTTPS requests. When you are finished, configure the port
number used to monitor the requests.

1. Open an Explore window.

2. Navigate to:
WebHelpDesk/conf/whd.conf
3. In the whd.conf file locate the Ports section.
4. Enter the port number Web Help Desk monitors for HTTPS requests, which appears after the
following entry:
HTTPS_PORTS=
5. Save your changes.
6. Close the whd.conf file.

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CONFIGURE A URL PORT
Your deployment may require Web Help Desk to use a different port in URLs it generates to itself than the
port the app server itself is actually running on. For example, you can configure a Web server to route
requests for the default port (80) to go to the default Web Help Desk port (8081). In this example, you can
have Web Help Desk URLs use port 80 instead of port 8081.

1. In the whd.conf file, locate the URL Ports (optional) section.

2. At the bottom of this section, enter the desired URL port number after the following entry:
URL_HTTPS_PORT=
3. Save and close the file.

ENABLE LISTENING FOR HTTPS REQUESTS

1. In the whd.conf file, locate the HTTPS_PORT entry.
2. Uncomment the entry.
3. Save and close the file.

ENTER THE SSL CONNECTION PORT

By default, Web browsers use port 443 for SSL connections. If you use a different port, include the port
number in URLs that refer to Web Help Desk.

For example, if your whd.conf file contains HTTPS_PORT=8443, connect to Web Help Desk using the
following URL:

https://localhost:8443

RESTART WEB HELP DESK

After you configure the HTTPS_PORT setting, restart Web Help Desk. The application creates a new Java
keystore at the following location:

WebHelpDesk/conf/keystore.jks

The new keystore contains a self-signed certificate.

Manage keys and certificates

This section does not apply to deployments enabled with FIPS 140-2 cryptography. See Enable FIPS
140-2 compliant cryptography for information about creating Certificate Authority (CA) and self-
signed certificates in a new or existing FIPS deployment.

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When a web browser submits an HTTPS request to Web Help Desk, the SSL protocol requires the
application to respond with a certificate to verify the authenticity of the server. The certificate contains a
public key used for encryption and a digital signature from a Certification Authority (CA). The digital
signature indicates which CA verified the authenticity of the server.

TRUST CERTIFICATES SIGNED BY CAS

Current Web browsers trust most certificates signed by large CAs (such as Verisign). You can also use
certificates signed by smaller CAs. When a web browser does not recognize the CA, it prompts you to
confirm your trust in the certificate.

After you confirm your trust, the web browser uses the public key in the certificate to encrypt information
sent to Web Help Desk. Web Help Desk uses its private key to decrypt the information. Additionally, Web
Help Desk uses its private key to encrypt information sent to the web browser, and the browser uses the
public key received in the certificate to decrypt it.

STORE KEYS AND CERTIFICATES

Web Help Desk stores its keys and certificates in a Java keystore located at
WebHelpDesk/conf/keystore.jks. Porteclé (an open-source utility bundled with Web Help Desk)
provides a graphical user interface for administering the keystore on the Windows or Mac OS X platform.

GENERATE A KEYPAIR AND CSR

If you do not have a certificate for your server and are using the Windows or Mac OS X platform, use
Porteclé to generate a keypair and a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) to send to the CA. When completed,
import the CA Reply certificate.

IMPORT A CERTIFICATE AND PRIVATE KEY TO THE KEYSTORE

If you have a certificate, import both the certificate and the primary key into the keystore. Porteclé does not
allow the private key to be imported by itself. You must combine it with its certificate in a Public-Key
Cryptography Standards (PKCS) #12 file (such as *.p12 or *.pfx). In each case, the keypair must be aliased
as tomcat and both the keypair and the keystore must be protected by the password specified in the
KEYSTORE_PASSWORD setting in the whd.conf file.

For more information about working with keys and certificates, see the following resources.

l Use default keypair aliases and passwords

l Add certificate chains
l Replace self-signed certificates with CA certificates
l Generate a new certificate
l Add a Certificate Authority to an embedded Java CA certificate keystore
l Import an existing certificate
l Certificate troubleshooting tips

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USE A DEFAULT KEYPAIR ALIAS AND PASSWORD
Web Help Desk uses the Apache Tomcat Web server. This server requires a key pair with a tomcat alias.

The default password to both the keypair and keystore is changeit, as shown below.

Tomcat requires identical keystore and keypair passwords. To use your own password, change the
KEYSTORE_PASSWORD setting in the whd.conf file located in the WebHelpDesk/conf directory.

ADD CERTIFICATE CHAINS

A trusted Certificate Authority (CA) can delegate to another CA. In this example, the certificate returned by
the delegated CA is signed by the trusted CA, resulting in a certificate chain. Certificate chains can vary in
length. The highest certificate in the chain—known as the root certificate—should be a self-signed
certificate signed by the trusted CA.

Each certificate in the chain must be imported into the keystore so the complete chain can be sent to the
web browser. If the CA Reply does not include the chain certificates, you must add them to the keystore
before the CA reply.

The certificates must be imported in order of dependency.

To import the certificates:

1. Add the root certificate first.

2. Add the next chained certificate signed by the root certificate.
3. Add the next chained certificate (and so on) down to the CA reply.

REPLACE A SELF-SIGNED CERTIFICATE WITH A CA CERTIFICATE

A keypair created using Porteclé includes a self-signed certificate. To replace the self-signed certificate
with a CA-signed certificate, generate a CSR for the keypair and submit the CSR to the CA. The CSR
contains the public key and the name of the server in a format defined by the public-key cryptography
standards #10 (PKCS10), which is typically given the .p10 or .csr file name extension.

After you verify the applicant identity, the CA sends you a certificate you can use to replace the self-signed
certificate in the keypair, as shown below.

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This CA Reply (or CSR Reply) is typically an X.509 certificate file with a CER, CRT, PEM, or DER extension or a
PKCS7 file with a P7B extension.

GENERATE A NEW CERTIFICATE USING PORTECLÉ

To generate a new certificate using Porteclé:

1. Create a keypair or replace a keypair.

2. Generate a certificate signing request (CSR).
3. Import CA chain and root certificates.
4. Import the CA reply certificate.

If you currently have a certificate, see Import an existing certificate.

CREATE A KEYPAIR

1. Open a File Explore window.

2. Launch the Porteclé batch file from the following directory:
Program Files\WebHelpDesk
3. Click the Files of Type drop-down menu and select:
.jks
4. Enter a password.
The default password is:
changeit
The keystore displays, with a keypair entry alias labeled tomcat. Web Help Desk automatically
creates this key pair.

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REPLACE A KEYPAIR

1. Right-click an alias and select Delete to delete a tomcat keypair.

2. Click Tools > Generate Key Pair.

3. Select an algorithm and key size.
4. Enter 1024 or 2048, and then select RSA.
5. Click OK.
6. Enter the X.509 attributes for your certificate.
a. Select a validity (in days) that matches the number of days your CA certificate will be valid. The
validity period is the period you specified when you purchased the certificate from the CA.
Typical validation periods are 6, 12, or 24 months.

b. Enter a common name that matches the site used in the certificate.
For example, if Web Help Desk is hosted at support.example.com, your CN must be
support.example.com.
c. Enter an organization unit that distinguishes this certificate from other certificates for your
organization.
d. Enter an organization name, which is typically the name of your organization.
e. Enter a locality name (such as a city name).
f. Enter a state name.
This is the full name of the state, province, region, or territory where your organization is
located.
g. Enter the country where your organization is located.
This should be the two letter ISO 3166 country code for your country.

h. (Optional). Enter a valid email address.

This is an optional setting that your CA may use as the email address to send your certificate.
7. Click OK.
8. Enter the keypair alias tomcat, and then click OK.
9. Enter changeit in both fields for the keypair password, and click Enter.
The new keypair aliased by Tomcat appears in the window.

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GENERATE A CERTIFICATE SIGNING REQUEST (CSR)

1. Right-click the tomcat keypair and select Generate CSR.

2. The Generate CSR window displays.

3. Enter a name for the CSR to help you remember the domain it validates.
For example:
support.example.com.csr
4. Click Generate.

The file is created.

5. Send the file to your CA to request your certificate.
The CA returns an X.509 certificate in DER (*.cer, *.crt), PEM (*.pem, *.cer, *.crt) or
PKCS#7 (*.p7b, *.p7c) encoding.

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IMPORT CA ROOT AND CHAIN CERTIFICATES

1. Verify if the certificate vendor requires any other certificates to complete the certificate chain.
2. In the toolbar, click Tools and select Import Trusted Certificate.

3. Locate each of the certificates provided by your CA.

4. Import the certificates into the keystore.

IMPORT A CA REPLY CERTIFICATE

After you install the required root certificates, right-click the tomcat keypair and then click Import CA Reply
to import the CA response from the CA.

IMPORT CERTIFICATES WITH BASE64-ENCODED FORMAT

If your certificate is in Base64-encoded format (with a PEM or CER extension) and you import the certificate
with another file, an error may display. If this occurs, copy the certificate text that includes:

------BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----

and ends with:

------END CERTIFICATE-------

After you import your certificate reply, Porteclé reports that the certificate was imported successfully.

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IMPORT ERRORS

If you import the CA Reply and Porteclé generates an error stating that the certificate cannot be trusted,
the root certificate may not be included. To determine which certificate you need, temporarily import your
CA Reply as a Trusted Certificate (rather than a CA Reply certificate) and examine the certificate details.

LOCATE THE ISSUER PROPERTY

Obtain a certificate from your CA that matches the Locate the Issuer property value and import the
certificate into Porteclé as a trusted certificate. After you import this certificate into Porteclé (and any other
certificates needed by its issuer), you can delete your own trusted certificate and re-import it as a CA Reply
to your keypair.

ADD A CA TO THE EMBEDDED JAVA CA CERT KEYSTORE

Web Help Desk does not accept certificates signed by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is not trusted by its
Java Virtual Machine (JVM). To import the certificate into the trust store, export the certificate to the CRT file
and import the CA. Run Porteclé as an administrator to import the CA.

IMPORT CERTIFICATES ON WINDOWS OR MACOS

1. Start Porteclé.

If you have a Microsoft® Windows® system, execute:

<WHD>/portecle.bat

If you have a macOS system, navigate to Applications > WebHelpDesk > Porteclé and double-click the
Porteclé icon.

2. Navigate to File > Open Keystore File.

3. Open the cacerts keystore file.

If you have a Windows system, locate the keystore at:

<WebHelpDesk>/bin/jre/lib/security/cacerts

If you have an Apple OS X system, open a terminal window and execute:

/user/libexec/java_home

System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0jdk/Contents/Home/lib/securi
ty/cacerts

4. When prompted, enter the default password:

changeit

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 5. Click Tools > Import Trusted Certificates and locate the .crt file.
6. Choose the following file and alias/name:
FileSaveKeystore
7. Restart Web Help Desk.

IMPORT AN EXISTING CERTIFICATE

To use an existing certificate with Web Help Desk, import your private key and your certificate chain.

Do not import the certificate using Porteclé’ Tools > Import Trusted Certificate option because it will
not include the private key.

The PKCS#12 standard specifies a keystore format used for transferring private keys and certificates.
PKCS#12 files typically use the p12 or PFX extension. If you have your private key and certificate bundled in
this format, you can import it directly into Porteclé.

If a PKCS#12 (p12 or PFX) file is not available, use the OpenSSL pkcs12 command to generate the file
from a private key and a certificate. If your certificate is on a Windows server, export a PKCS#12 file from
the Microsoft Management Console.

CREATE A PKCS#12 KEYSTORE FROM A PRIVATE KEY AND CERTIFICATE

OpenSSL is an open source software library that provides the pkcs12 command for generating PKCS#12
files from a private key and a certificate.

The private key and certificate must be in Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) format (for example, base64-
encoded with ----BEGIN CERTIFICATE---- and ----END CERTIFICATE---- headers and footers).

Use these OpenSSL commands to create a PKCS#12 file from your private key and certificate:

openssl pkcs12 -export \

-in <signed_cert_filename> \

-inkey <private_key_filename> \

-name ‘tomcat’ \

-out keystore.p12

If you have a chain of certificates, combine the certificates into a single file and use it for the input file, as
shown below. The order of certificates must be from server certificate to the CA root certificate. See RFC
2246 section 7.4.2 for more information about this order.

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cat <signed_cert_filename> \

<intermediate.cert> [<intermediate2.cert>]

... \

> cert-chain.txt

openssl pkcs12 -export \

-in cert-chain.txt \

-inkey <private_key_filename> \

-name ‘tomcat’ \

-out keystore.p12

When prompted, provide a password for the new keystore. This password is required for importing the
keystore into the Web Help Desk Java keystore.

EXPORT A PKCS#12 KEYSTORE FROM THE MICROSOFT MANAGEMENT CONSOLE

To use an existing certificate located on a server running Microsoft Windows:

1. Click Start > Run.

2. In the Run box, execute:
mmc
The Microsoft Management Console displays.
3. Select File > Add/Remove Snap-In.
4. Select Add > Certificates > Add > Computer Account > Local Computer > Finish.
5. Expand Console Root > Certificates > Personal.
Your certificate is displayed.
6. Right-click your certificate and select More Actions > Export List.

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 7. Follow the Certificate Export Wizard prompts to export a Personal Information Exchange – PKCS
#12 (.pfx) file.
Note the location where you saved the PFX file.

8. Select the option to Include all certificates in the certification path.

9. Import the PKCS#12 file Into the keystore.

IMPORT A PKCS#12 FILE INTO THE KEYSTORE

When you import your file, ensure that:

l Your certificate chain is intact in the Web Help Desk keystore. Double-click the certificate to
Inspect the certificate chain and view the certificate details. Use the left and right arrows at the top
of the details panel to navigate through each certificate in the chain. If you do not see the full
certificate chain, import the CA certificates first at Tools > Import Trusted Certificate and import your
keypair again. Porteclé does not establish trust when a certificate is imported before the certificate
that was used to sign it.
l You import the certificate chain in the correct order. Your root certificate is imported first, then
the next certificate in the chain, and so on until you get to your own certificate.
l Your certificate is aliased as tomcat. The password for your certificate and the keystore must be
identical and match the KEYSTORE_PASSWORD setting in the WebHelpDesk/conf/whd.conf file
(changeit by default).

If your keystore contains a default, unsigned Tomcat certificate, delete this certificate before you import
your PKCS#12 file.

To import the contents of a PKCS#12 file into the Web Help Desk keystore, you can:

l Convert the PKCS#12 keystore to a Java keystore

l Import the keypair containing your certificate

CONVERT THE PKCS#12 KEYSTORE TO A JAVA KEYSTORE

1. Click File > Open Keystore file.

2. Click Tools > Change Keystore Type > JKS and convert the keystore to a Java keystore.
3. Save the file in Web Help Desk/conf/keystore.jks to overwrite the existing keystore file.

IMPORT THE KEYPAIR THAT CONTAINS YOUR CERTIFICATE

1. Open the Web Help Desk keystore file.

2. Click Tools > Import Keypair.
3. Import the keypair containing your certificate into Porteclé.
When prompted, select which keypair in your PKCS#12 keystore to import.

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CERTIFICATE TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

If you experience issues when importing CA certificates, ensure that your settings are correct and there
are no errors in your procedures.

SELECT THE CA CERTS KEYSTORE

In Porteclé, navigate to Tools > Options and select Use CA Certs Keystore. When completed, Porteclé checks
the built-in Java certificates to establish trust.

IMPORT CERTIFICATES IN ORDER

Porteclé requires you to import all certificates in order, beginning with the most trusted certificate (for
example, root certificate, intermediate certificate issued by the root, the certificate issued by that
certificate, and so on). If you import a certificate out of order, Porteclé generates an error stating it cannot
establish trust. Confirming trust for any certificate other than the root certificate is not expected.

Additionally, do not import your own certificate using the Tools > Import Trusted Certificates menu option.
This option is only for importing root and chain certificates. Instead, right-click your tomcat keypair and
select Import CA Reply.

USE IDENTICAL KEYPAIR AND KEYSTORE PASSWORDS

Ensure that the password set for the keypair and the keystore are identical and match the KEYSTORE_
PASSWORD setting in the WebHelpDesk/conf/whd.conf file (the default password is changeit) . To
set the keypair password, right-click the tomcat keypair and select Set password. To set the keystore
password, select Tools > Set Keystore Password.

SAVE YOUR KEYSTORE

Ensure that your keystore is saved to:

WebHelpDesk/conf/keystore.jks

ENABLE YOUR CHANGES

Restart Web Help Desk to ensure changes in Porteclé or the whd.conf file are enabled. For Windows
systems, use the Web Help Desk Start/Stop utilities in the Start menu instead of the Windows Services
panel. For systems running Windows Server 2008 and later, right-click Run As Administrator.

PREVENT CERTIFICATE WARNINGS

When the host name in the address used to browse to Web Help Desk is different from the Common Name
(CN) field in your certificate, a certificate warning displays. For example, a certificate warning displays if
your certificate is for help.mycompany.com and you use localhost as the hostname in your URL.

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ENABLE HTTP REQUESTS
When using HTTPS, ensure that your Setup settings are set correctly. To verify, click Setup and select
Options. In the General Options screen, ensure that the Force HTTPS setting is set to Always. This setting
ensures that links pointing to Web Help Desk use HTTPS.

TROUBLESHOOT AND RESOLVE ISSUES

The following table provides resolutions to common certificate issues.

ISSUE RESOLUTION

Portecle says my CA Reply certificate cannot be Porteclé does not trust sign your certificate. You must
trusted. obtain a root certificate (or chain of certificates) from
your CA that matches the issuer identity of your
certificate and import them into Porteclé before
importing your own certificate as a CA Reply.

You can determine the issuer of your CA reply by

importing your certificate into Porteclé as a trusted
certificate (instead of a CA reply) and examining the
certificate details. Review the certificate details of
other certificates in your keystore to see if any of
them match your certificate’s Issuer attribute. If not,
obtain a certificate from your CA that does match.

After you import a certificate that matches your

certificate issuer, as well as any other certificates
needed to trust those certificates, delete your
temporarily trusted certificate and re-import it as a
CA reply to your keypair.

After importing my certificate, Web Help Desk Open your whd.conf file in a text editor and ensure
does not start. that:

l You commented out the SSL_PORT setting.

l Your DEFAULT_PORT and HTTPS_PORT
settings are not conflicting with any other
processes on the server.
l Your KEYSTORE_PASSWORD setting matches
both the password of your keystore and the
password of your keypair. The default
password is changeit.

After importing my certificate, Web Help Desk is Verify that your private key was generated using the
OK, but my browser shows a self-signed DSA algorithm. DSA keys can fail with many browsers,

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ISSUE RESOLUTION

certificate. including Internet Explorer. Try using RSA instead.

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Manage clients
Clients typically interact with Web Help Desk using the Web interface, but they can also be set up to work
with Web Help Desk using email.

Create a client
If client information is not in a format that can be easily imported, you can manually create each client
account. The account information must include the client's name, email, and Web Help Desk login
credentials, as shown in the example below. When you add a new client, the information is saved in the
Web Help Desk database.

Beginning in Web Help Desk 12.5.2, all techs who use LDAP authentication must have a Client
account to access their Tech account. This process prevents unauthorized access to an LDAP
account.

SolarWinds recommends allowing clients to create accounts only if their emails match the accepted
domains.

1. In the toolbar, click Clients.

2. Click New Client.
3. Enter the client's name, credentials, and contact information.
Required fields are bold.

4. Update other options as needed. See the tooltips for more information.
5. Click Save.
If you selected the client option E-mail Client When Account is Created, Web Help Desk sends a
confirmation email to the client.

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Set up a client-initiated account

You can enable clients to create their accounts when they first log in to Web Help Desk.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Client > Options.

2. In the Client Can Create Account row, select Yes.
3. Click Save.

When completed, new clients see the following screen. To create a new account, they can click New
Account.

Clients must be qualified to set up their own account. To verify, click Setup > Clients > Options. In the
Client Options screen, ensure that the options are configured correctly. SolarWinds recommends requiring
domain matching for new clients.

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Assign an existing asset to a client
You can assign assets (such as printers and computers) to clients in your Web Help Desk system. Using this
process, a tech can identify and connect to a client asset to diagnose and resolve an incident or problem.

1. In the toolbar, click Assets.

2. Below the toolbar, click Search Assets.
3. Select the Basic Search tab.

4. In the tab window, select or enter the appropriate criteria to locate the asset.
To locate the asset using a specific set of conditions, click the Advanced Search tab and enter your
search criteria.
5. Click Search.
Your results appear in the bottom window.

6. Click an available asset to attach to the client.

7. Click in the Asset Basics tab to edit the asset properties.

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8. In the Clients field, search and select the client for this asset.
9. Complete the remaining fields as required, then click Save.
The asset is assigned to the client.

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Manage tickets
Web Help Desk uses tickets to manage service requests. These tickets can be initiated through email,
created in the application, and imported from another application. Techs, admins, and clients can also
manage tickets through email or through the application in a web browser.

Using Web Help Desk, you can:

l Create a ticket using the Web Help Desk tech interface or email.
l Create a quick ticket for a frequent issue, such as a forgotten password.
l Configure ticket status types to identify the ticket's current stage of completion and indicate
whether action is needed.
l Configure ticket details such as selecting a request type, improving ticket resolution with ticket
types, adding details to tickets with tech notes, and escalating or de-escalating a ticket.
l View and customize the ticket queue to quickly access list of tickets assigned to you or your tech
group.
l Search for a ticket using a basic or advanced search.
l Perform actions on multiple tickets to apply a set of changes to multiple tickets at once.
l Update and resolve tickets by changing ticket information and performing actions on multiple
tickets.
l Merge tickets and their associated attachments and messages into one ticket.
l Create parent/child service relationships to change a service request to a problem ticket (or parent)
and attach related service requests (or children) to the problem ticket for ticket automation.

For information about using commands (instead of the Web Help Desk Console) to manage tickets,
see the Tickets section in the Web Help Desk REST API Guide.

How ticket automation works

Automating ticket workflows is based on three principles: priority types, action rules, and tasks and task
elements.

PRIORITY TYPES
Web Help Desk prioritizes tickets and sends automated email alerts to techs based on how you configure
your setup parameters.

A ticket includes one of the following predefined priority types:

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l Urgent
l High
l Medium
l Low

Each priority type includes adjustable alert levels to automatically escalate an email. Web Help Desk
includes three alert levels, with level 3 as the highest severity. The Not Completed condition is considered
more important than Not Updated, which is more important than Not Assigned. If alert levels include
matching criteria, Web Help Desk uses the highest severity level.

ACTION RULES
An action rule defines the action Web Help Desk automatically performs on tickets based on your
predefined conditions. For example, you can use an action rule to:

l Assign the ticket to a tech

l Change the priority level of the ticket
l Update the status of a ticket
l Run a task
l Modify a ticket
l Send an email

TASKS
Web Help Desk uses tasks to create tickets. A task contains one or more task elements, and each task
element provides settings for a new ticket. When the task runs, Web Help Desk creates a ticket for each
task element, either sequentially or all at once, depending on the configured task. Tasks can run manually
or automatically, at given intervals or based on specific criteria, depending on how you configure them.
Tasks are especially useful for handling repetitive processes.

For example, if your HR department has a set of routine onboarding tasks to complete for a new employee,
you can create a task called New Employee and define each task element required to help a new employee
get started in their new position.

Related tasks can include:

l Completing tax and insurance forms

l Accessing network resources
l Configuring a new computer system
l Installing and configuring corporate and department-specific software

You can trigger a new task when required—for example, when you on-board a new employee. When you
run the task, Web Help Desk generates a ticket for each task element. These tickets can be assigned to
techs, who ensure each task element is completed.

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Ticket flow
The following diagram details the Web Help Desk ticket assignment logic.

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The illustration includes numbered references for some processes. Listed below are the corresponding
paths in the Web Help Desk user interface to make any needed changes for each numbered process.

NUMBER RELATED PATH IN WEB HELP DESK

1 Setup > Techs > Tech Groups > [Group] > Request Types Supported

See Define Tech Groups for more information.

In the Request Types Supported tab, view the supported request

types.

2 Setup > Tickets > Request Types > [Request Type] > Lead Technician

See Define Request Types for more information.

3 Setup > Techs >Tech Groups > [Group] Tech Group Levels > Level 1 >
Auto Assign Tickets To

See Define Tech Groups for more information.

4 Setup > Techs > Tech Groups > [Group] > Level 1 > Assigned Techs

See Define Tech Groups for more information.

To select e-mail recipients for new tickets, go to:

Setup > Techs > Tech Groups > [Group] > Tech Group Levels > Level 1
> Email Recipients of Client Updates

See Define Tech Groups for more information.

5 Setup > Tickets > Request Types > [Request Type] > Lead Technician

If the Tech is marked On Vacation, the ticket is assigned to the

Backup Tech in the Tech's profile.

See Define Request Types for more information.

6 Setup > Techs > Tech Groups > [Group] > Tech Group Info > Group
Manager

You can use Location Group Manager instead of the specified Tech
at:

Setup > Techs > Tech Groups > [Group] > Tech Group Info

If this Tech is marked On Vacation, the ticket is assigned to the

Backup Tech in the Tech's profile.

See Define Tech Groups for more information.

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 NUMBER RELATED PATH IN WEB HELP DESK

7 Setup > Techs > Tech Groups > [Group] > Techs Assigned

See Define Tech Groups for more information.

8 Setup > Techs > Techs > [Technician] > On Vacation

Setup > Techs > Techs > [Technician] > Work Schedule

See Define Techs for more information.

9 Setup > Locations > Location Groups > [Group] > Assigned Locations
tab

See Enter Locations for more information.

10 Setup > Locations > Location Groups > [Groups] > Assigned Techs tab

See Enter Locations for more information.

11 Setup > Locations > Department Groups > [Groups] > Assigned
Departments

To enable departments:

Setup > Locations > Options > Use Departments check box

See Enter Locations for more information.

12 Specify which status types are used in calculating ticket load balance
at:

Setup > Tickets > Status Types > [Status Type] > Use for Load Balance
check box

See Define Status Types for more information.

Create a ticket
Clients can create tickets through email or through the Web using the Web Help Desk client interface. The
client interface is what clients see when they log in to the Web Console.

Techs can also create tickets through email or through the Web. In most cases, techs create tickets through
the Web using the Web Help Desk tech interface. The tech interface is what techs see by default when they
log in to the Web Console.

A tech can access the client interface if the tech's profile is associated with a client account.

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In addition, admins can define Web Help Desk tasks (scripts) which will create certain types of tickets
automatically.

CREATE A TICKET THROUGH THE WEB INTERFACE

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets.
2. Click New Ticket.
3. If the ticket is to report a client issue, use the Client Lookup box to select the client.
4. If the ticket requires an asset, click the Asset tab and add the asset.
5. Click the Ticket Details tab.
6. Select a Request Type.
The Assign To field displays, showing which tech group receives this request based on the Web Help
Desk ticket assignment logic. You can override the ticket assignment logic and assign the ticket to
yourself.
7. Enter a subject and request details to describe the issue.
8. Specify the Priority.
9. Click one of the following buttons:
l Save: saves the ticket.
l Save and Send E-Mail: saves the ticket and sends an email to the specified recipients. (The
tech, client, location, and ticket setup options determine who receives email.)

You can launch DameWare MRC from a customer ticket or from the Web Help Desk Toolbar.

CREATE A TICKET THROUGH EMAIL

Clients and techs can create tickets by sending an email message to the dedicated help desk email
address. Web Help Desk creates a ticket for each new message received through its dedicated email
address.

Organizations can choose to set up help desk email addresses. For example, an organization can have one
email for HR issues (hr@example.com) and another for all other issues (support@example.com). Tickets
created through the HR address are assigned an HR request type, which routes them to a specific tech
group. Tickets created through the general support address are assigned a general request type. Tech
groups who receive general request types must evaluate the ticket and assign the appropriate request
type to each ticket.

Create a quick ticket

Use quick tickets to create identical tickets for repetitive issues, such as a forgotten password. You can
create a quick ticket template to define the fields in quick tickets.

Techs and admins complete the Client and Location information based on the request type in a quick
ticket before the ticket is assigned to help desk personnel.

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 1. In the toolbar, click Tickets.
2. In the Tickets screen, click New Ticket.
3. In the New Ticket screen, locate the Quick Ticket section and click the plus icon to create a ticket.

4. In the Quick Ticket Details screen, complete the fields and drop-down menus for your quick ticket.
5. At the bottom of the ticket, locate the Save Quick Ticket as field.

6. In the field, enter a name for this quick ticket type.

7. Click Shared to allow others to use this quick ticket template.
8. Click Save.
9. Click Apply.

Configure ticket status types

The ticket status identifies the ticket's current stage of completion and indicates whether action is needed.

By default, Web Help Desk includes the following status types. You can modify all preconfigured status
types and create additional status types.

STATUS DESCRPITION

Open The issue requires a resolution. This is the default status of a ticket when it is created.

Pending The ticket was received, but it is currently on hold. For example, a status indicates that a
feature request was received but management has not yet decided if the request will be
granted.

This status can also indicate that the assigned tech is waiting for information from a client.
You can also create a new status for this purpose.

Resolved The tech has provided a solution and is waiting for the client to confirm the resolution.

By default, when a tech changes a ticket status to Resolved, the client receives an email
asking if the issue is resolved to their satisfaction. If the client clicks Yes, the ticket status
changes to Closed. If the clients clicks No, the ticket status changes to Open.

Closed The client confirmed that the issue is resolved. You can also configure Web Help Desk to
automatically close a ticket if the client does not respond to the confirmation request
within the specified time period.

Canceled The client is no longer experiencing the problem, or no longer needs the service requested
in the ticket.

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You can create a Web Help Desk report to show the total amount of time or the average amount of
time spent in each status.

MODIFY A PRECONFIGURED STATUS TYPE

By default, setting a ticket status to Resolved sends an email asking the client to confirm the resolution.
The following example configures the Resolved status to automatically close the ticket if the client does not
respond within three weeks.

1. On the toolbar, click Setup.

2. Select Tickets > Status Types.
3. In the list of status types, click Resolved.
By default, the Resolved status type is configured to send an email prompting clients to confirm that
their issue was resolved.

4. Set Automatically Close Ticket After to 3 Week(s).

If a client does not respond to the confirmation email within three weeks, the ticket status is
automatically set to Closed.

5. Click Save.

CREATING A NEW STATUS TYPE

This example creates a new status type called Waiting on Client Response.

1. On the toolbar, click Setup.

2. Select Tickets > Status Types.
3. Click New.
4. Enter a Name and Description.

5. Change the Display Order so that tickets with this status are displayed above Closed, Canceled, or
Resolved tickets.

6. Clear the Count Time check box.

The time spent in this status is not included in the ticket's total open time, and the ticket's due date
is extended by the amount of time spent in this status.

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 7. Click Save.
The new status type is displayed in the list.
You must click Save on the Status Types tab before you click the Options tab. If you do not
click Save, the information you entered on the Status Types tab is lost.

8. In the list of status types, click Waiting on Client Response.

9. Click Options.
10. In the Client Update Sets Status To field, select Open.
When the client updates the ticket, the status automatically changes to Open. This indicates that
information has been added to the ticket and the tech can resume work on it.

11. Click Save.

Configure ticket details

When you click Tickets in the toolbar, you can access My Tickets and Group Tickets under the toolbar if:

l You belong to a group with assigned tickets

l The tickets are directly assigned to you.

To view the ticket detail page, you can:

l Click Tickets in the toolbar, and then click a ticket number.

l Click My Tickets, and then click a ticket number.
l Click Group Tickets, and then click a ticket number.
l Use the search options to locate the ticket of interest.

To assign a technician to the ticket, select an option in the Assign To field or click the Assigned Tech drop-
down menu and select a technician.

To escalate the ticket, click above the Dates tab.

SELECT A REQUEST TYPE

Request types define the issue type and the required action. They also determine custom fields that
populate in the ticket, techs who can be assigned to the ticket, and the method used to route the ticket to a
tech.

Web Help Desk includes default request types for:

l Email or Outlook
l Facilities
l Hardware
l HR

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l IT General or Other
l Network
l Phone or Voicemail
l Printer or Toner

When you create a request type, ensure that all Web Help Desk request types used for DameWare
integration do not include required custom fields.

IMPROVE TICKET RESOLUTION WITH TICKET TYPES

Ticket types group multiple tickets together on the same issue as Child tickets of a Parent ticket. This
allows you to address a Child ticket when you edit the Parent ticket.

Web Help Desk uses three types of tickets to facilitate this type of ticket resolution: Service, Problem, and
Incident.

TICKET TYPE DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE

Service Request A request submitted by a client to Web Reset a password.

Help Desk for assistance, such as
Access a shared network resource.
information, advice, or access to an
IT service. Replace a printer toner cartridge.

Problem Ticket A ticket that provides the root cause for The HR printer has a paper jam.
attached Incident and Child tickets.

These tickets are based on an initial

Service Request or an automatic
trouble ticket from a system integrated
with Web Help Desk.

Incident Ticket A ticket that describes a new HR department personnel receive an

occurrence of an issue currently error message when they send a
documented in an existing Problem document to the HR printer.
ticket.

The Incident ticket can be attached to a

Problem ticket. After it is attached, the
Incident ticket becomes a Child ticket.
Incident tickets are created from a
Service Request or an automatic
trouble ticket from a system integrated
with Web Help Desk.

When a ticket type is set to Problem in the Ticket Details tab, the ticket becomes available in the Problems
drawer, as shown below.

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This capability provides a parent root cause for related tickets. When a ticket is linked to a Problem ticket, it
becomes an Incident ticket. Changing the ticket back to a Service Request removes the link to the Problem
ticket.

When a Parent ticket is closed, all of its Child tickets close as well. When you view a Parent ticket, you can
view notes from Child tickets. When you view an Incident ticket, you can also view the notes from the
Problem ticket.

CHANGE TICKET RELATIONSHIPS

When you create or modify parent and child tickets, the following rules apply:

l Changing the existing ticket type in the Ticket Details > Details pane to another selection removes
all existing ticket relationships, whether they are Parent/Child or Problem/Incident relations.
l Only Service Requests can have Parent or Child tickets.
l A ticket cannot be linked until it is saved.

LINK AND UNLINK INCIDENT AND PROBLEM TICKETS

Use the Parent-Child feature in Problem tickets to manually link multiple reports of a single issue. The
Problem ticket is considered a Parent and each linked Incident ticket is considered a Child ticket.

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LINK AN INCIDENT TICKET TO A PROBLEM TICKET

1. In the Tickets screen, click a ticket.

2. In the Ticket Details tab, ensure that Incident is the active ticket type.

3. Click the Problems tab.

4. Enter or select a ticket number, request type, status, or search term in any existing Problem tickets
that you can transform into a Parent ticket.

5. Click Search to find Problem tickets relating to your Incident ticket.

6. In the search results, click View to preview possible Parent tickets.
7. Click Link to assign the Problem ticket as a Child ticket.

UNLINK A PROBLEM TICKET FROM AN INCIDENT TICKET

1. In the Tickets screen, click a Problem ticket.

2. In the Ticket Details tab, ensure that Problem is the active Ticket Type.
3. Scroll down to the Linked Incidents tab.
4. Click the Unlink Problem button.
The Parent Problem ticket is no longer linked to the Incident ticket.

ADD DETAILS TO TICKETS WITH TECH NOTES

You can add additional information to tickets using tech notes. A ticket can have multiple notes and can be
added by any technician. Tech notes can contain basic HTML tag or Bulletin Board Code (BBCode) tag
formatting.

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Techs can also add billing rates to tech notes. To enable, click Setup > Parts & Billing > Options and select
the Parts & Billing Enabled check box. When enabled, Web Help Desk will track parts, inventory, and billing
on tickets.

ADD AN FAQ TO A TECH NOTE

When an FAQ describes the resolution to an issue or provides information associated with a ticket, you can
link the FAQ to the ticket.

1. Open the ticket details page.

2. In the Notes section, click the creation date to open a new note, or click New to add a new note.
3. Click the Link FAQ button.
4. In the FAQ Search dialog box, search for the FAQ.
5. Click the Link FAQ button on the right side of the FAQ's row.
A link to the FAQ is added to the note.
6. Click Save to save the note.

CREATE A NEW TECH PERMISSION

Administrators can re-assign technicians, change ticket status, and delete tickets. Technicians have various
levels of access depending on their tech permission set.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Techs > Tech Permissions.
2. In the Tech Permissions screen, click New.
3. In the Permissions screen, enter a name in the Permission Name field for the new permission.
4. Select the permissions for your targeted user.
Click the help icon or click the tooltips for more information about each option.
5. Click Save.
Your permissions are saved.

SEND EMAIL TO TICKET RECIPIENTS

When you save a ticket, you can email the ticket to a client, assigned technician, level techs, group
manager, or other addresses in the ticket Recipients tab using the cc: and bcc: fields. Select the recipient
check boxes and add cc: or bcc: addresses, and then click Save & Email.

Clicking Save does not generate an email unless the ticket is re-assigned. In this case, the newly-assigned
tech receives an email. Click the lock to toggle the ticket privacy setting. When tickets are private, users
without permission cannot see the tickets.

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MANAGE TICKET TASKS

A task is a series of one or more separate steps called Elements, and can be scheduled to repeat at daily,
weekly, or monthly intervals. Tasks run automatically on their scheduled date or they can be triggered
manually using the green Play triangle next to the task name.

To create a new task, see Create tasks.

ESCALATE AND DE-ESCALATE TICKETS

Escalating or de-escalating a ticket moves an assigned ticket to a higher or lower tech group level,
respectively.

If a higher tech group level is available, the ticket is escalated to that level. If a ticket still requires
escalation and a higher level tech group is not available, the ticket escalates to the group manager. If
further escalation is required, the ticket can be escalated to the lead tech for the request type. When the
ticket is escalated, it inherits the email settings from the tech group level settings and ticket assignment
strategy.

When a ticket is escalated or de-escalated, a tool tip provides more information about the escalation or de-
escalation, as shown below.

When the assigned tech is reassigned, Web Help Desk sends escalation or de-escalation emails to the
current and former techs assigned to the ticket.

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 1. In the Tickets page, click the ticket you want to escalate.
2. In the Ticket Details tab, locate the Details tab.

3. Click Escalate to send the ticket to a higher-level tech group.

Click De-escalate to send the ticket to a lower-level tech group.
When you escalate or de-escalate the ticket to the maximum level, the Escalate and De-
escalate icons disappear.

4. Click the History tab.

5. Review the ticket assignment history for accuracy.

View and customize the ticket queue

This section describes how to display a list of tickets and how to customize your view of the ticket queue.
Use this material as it is, or copy and revise it to reflect your organization's practices and Web Help Desk
configuration.

DISPLAY A LIST OF TICKETS

Use Web Help Desk to quickly access lists of tickets that are assigned to you or to your tech group.

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1. In the toolbar, click Tickets.

2. In the menu bar, select one of the following to display a list of tickets:
l My tickets: displays tickets assigned to you.
l Group tickets: displays tickets assigned to any tech in a tech group you belong to.
l Flagged Tickets: displays tickets that you flagged.
l Recent Tickets: displays tickets that you recently edited.

ABOUT THE TICKET QUEUE

The ticket queue provides information about each ticket in the list.

In the first column, you can select tickets for bulk actions, such as merging tickets.

The second column provides color-coded ticket information:

l Blue: New ticket with no tech response

l Purple: Ticket reassigned to a new tech
l Yellow: Ticket with a new client update
l None: Ticket that does not meet any of the categories above

Click the flag column to flag a ticket or to remove an existing flag. Flagging a ticket adds it to your Flagged
Tickets queue, which you can access by clicking Flagged Tickets in the toolbar. Use flags to mark tickets
that require immediate follow-up or special attention. If a ticket is unassigned, the last column displays the
Assign to Me icon . You can click the icon to assign the ticket to yourself.

Techs can only see their assigned tickets in the My Tickets view, as well as tickets assigned directly to a
tech group they belong to in the Group Tickets screen. These two restrictions apply to all accounts,
including admin accounts.

See Set up tickets to configure the information in the My Tickets and Group Tickets screens.

SORT THE TICKET QUEUE

Click a column heading to sort the list of tickets by the values in that column. Click the column heading
again to reverse the sort order.

Sort the tickets by the Alert Level to ensure you see tickets that require immediate action. Sort by
Date to see the oldest tickets first.

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CUSTOMIZE YOUR VIEW OF THE TICKET QUEUE
You can customize your view of the ticket queue by creating one or more column sets. Each column set
specifies which columns are displayed and in what order.

1. Display any ticket queue.

2. Click + in the upper-right corner to create a new column set.
To edit an existing column set, select the column set and click the edit button.
3. Enter a name to identify the column set.
4. To choose which columns are included, drag column labels into or out of the Selected Columns list.
5. To specify the order of the columns, drag column labels up or down in the list to arrange them.
6. Click Save.

Search for a Web Help Desk ticket

You can search for a Web Help Desk ticket using a basic or advanced search.

A basic search locates tickets based on the search criteria you enter in a set of predefined fields. An
advanced search locates tickets based on any number of search criteria you enter. The search criteria are
a set of conditions that must be met.

An advanced search may return results that do not populate in a basic search, even if you use the
same query.

PERFORM A BASIC SEARCH

1. On the top toolbar, click Tickets.
2. On the second toolbar, click Search Tickets.
3. Enter values in one or more fields to define the search criteria.
4. Click Search to display a list of tickets that match your criteria.
When you locate a ticket, you can update it as needed.

PERFORM AN ADVANCED SEARCH

1. On the top toolbar, click Tickets.
2. On the second toolbar, click Search Tickets.
3. Click the Advanced Search tab.

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4. Specify the conditions that the ticket must meet, starting from the left and continuing to the right.
Click + in the ALL or ANY section to add additional conditions.
l Every condition specified in the ALL group must be met for a ticket to be found. These
conditions are evaluated with a Boolean AND operator.
l At least one condition specified in the ANY group must be met for a ticket to be found. These
conditions are evaluated with a Boolean OR operator.
Enter conditions in either or both groups. See the following section for examples of advanced
searches.
5. Save this query so you can run it again.
a. Enter a name in the Save Query as field.
b. Select Shared to make the query available to other techs.
c. Click Save.
6. Click Search to run the query.

ADVANCED SEARCH EXAMPLES

Advanced searches can help you answer a variety of questions.

The following search example locates tickets assigned to a specific tech that have not been updated within
the last ten days.

A Date condition that includes 0 business days, business hours, business minutes, and so on does
not return a result.

The following example locates tickets containing "network outage" in a client note, request details, or
subject.

The following example locates tickets assigned to a tech group with an Urgent priority on escalation level
of two or higher.

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Perform actions on multiple tickets
Use bulk actions to apply a set of changes to multiple tickets at once. For example, you can use a bulk
action to escalate all open, unassigned, urgent priority IT requests for laptop repairs.

CREATE A NEW BULK ACTION

Before you can apply a bulk action, you must create the bulk action that defines what change will be made
to the ticket. After you create a bulk action, you can apply it at any time. You can also share the bulk action
so that other techs can apply it.

1. Log on to Web Help Desk as an administrator.

2. Click Tickets.
3. In the menu bar, select a ticket screen.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and locate the Bulk Action box.
5. Click [+] next to Bulk Action.
6. In the Bulk Action Details screen, specify values in the fields that you want the bulk action to
change. Leave all other fields blank.
7. In the Save Bulk Action as field, enter a name for this bulk action.
8. (Optional) Select Shared to share this bulk action with other users.
9. Click Save.
The saved bulk action will be listed in the Bulk Action drop-down menu in the Tickets screen.

EDIT A BULK ACTION

1. Log on to Web Help Desk as an administrator.
2. Click Tickets.
3. In the menu bar, click the appropriate ticket screen.
The Ticket screen updates with the tickets for your selected ticket view.
4. Click the Bulk Action drop-down arrow and select the bulk action you want to edit.
5. Click the Pencil icon.
6. Update the appropriate fields in the screen as required.
7. Click Save to save your template.

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APPLY A BULK ACTION TO A GROUP OF TICKETS

After you create a bulk action, you can apply it to a selected a group of tickets.

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets.

2. In the menu bar, select a ticket screen, or select Search Tickets and search for the tickets you want
to change.
3. Select the tickets that will be affected by the bulk action.
l To select all tickets on the page, select the check box above the first column.
l To select individual tickets, select the check box in the first column of each ticket row.
4. Below the list of tickets, select an option from the Bulk Action drop-down menu.
5. Click Run to apply the bulk action.
A message summarizes the changes that will be applied to the selected tickets
6. Click OK.
A message states that your action was applied to your selected tickets.

Update and resolve tickets

This section describes how to update ticket information, perform actions on multiple tickets, and resolve
tickets. Use this material as it is, or copy and revise it to reflect your organization's practices and Web Help
Desk configuration.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets in Web Help Desk include information on the following tabs:

l Client Info: identifies the client who requested support. This information is populated automatically
from the client account.
l Asset Info: identifies assets (PCs or servers, for example) that are associated with the client or with
the support request.
l Ticket Details: contains specific information about this request, incident, or problem. This is the tab
that techs update to add notes or change the status.
l Parts and Billing: identifies parts ordered to complete this request and information about billing
for the part.

EDIT A TICKET FROM THE WEB CONSOLE

As you work to resolve a ticket, update the ticket frequently so your activity can be tracked. For example,
add notes to record activities, track progress, and document the resolution.

1. Search for the ticket you want to edit, or locate it in your ticket queue.
2. Click the ticket number to open it.
The Ticket Details tab is displayed.

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 3. Select a ticket type.
A service request is a planned request for a new or modified service. When you hire a new employee,
you can create service requests for setting up a workspace, purchasing a laptop computer, and
assigning a telephone number.
An incident is an unplanned event that causes an interruption or reduction in service. If the new
employee receives a laptop computer and cannot connect to the corporate network, you create a
service request ticket that a tech can later classify as an incident. If you encounter two or more
similar incidents, you can link the incident tickets to a problem ticket.
A problem identifies the root cause of one or more incidents. If the new employee and several other
employees cannot log in to the corporate network, you can create a service request ticket that a tech
can later classify as a problem. The tech can then link all incident tickets as supporting incidents (or
children) to the problem ticket.
4. Select the request type that accurately reflects the type of ticket. The ticket is transferred to the tech
group that services the request type you selected. Add a note to explain the reason you changed
the request type.
5. Select the Priority.
The priority determines the ticket's due date, and should reflect the severity of the issue and the
people or affected business functions. Select one of the following:
l Urgent: a failure that severely impacts critical operations.
l High: an issue that degrades response times or affects normal operations.
l Medium: an issue that affects a small number of users or an individual user. A work-around is
available.
l Low: questions or requests for information.
6. Add or update the remaining ticket fields.
7. Click Save to save the ticket or Save & Email to save the ticket and send an email to the specified
recipients.

To return to the ticket queue, click the arrow icon in the upper-left corner.

UPDATE TICKETS USING EMAIL

When a ticket is assigned to you, Web Help Desk sends you an email. Respond to the email to update the
ticket.

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1. In the Notes section, select the action you want to perform. You can add a note, add a hidden note,
or delete the ticket.
2. Hold down the Control key and click the ticket number.
Web Help Desk creates an email similar to the following example. In this example, the tech chose to
add a note that is visible to the client.

3. Verify the options listed in the subject line.

l The Action is based on the action you selected. For example, if you select Add Note, the
action in the Subject is Tech Update.
l The Email Client option defaults to YES. Enter NO if you do not want to email the client. (This
option is not case-sensitive.)
4. Enter your note as the body of the email and send the email.

PERFORM ACTIONS ON MULTIPLE TICKETS

Use bulk actions to apply a set of changes to multiple tickets at once. For example, you can use a bulk
action to escalate all open, unassigned, urgent priority IT requests for laptop repairs.

CREATE A NEW BULK ACTION

Before you can apply a bulk action, you must create the bulk action that defines what change will be made
to the ticket. After you create a bulk action, you can apply it at any time. You can also share the bulk action
so that other techs can apply it.

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 1. In the toolbar, click Tickets.
2. In the menu bar, select a ticket screen.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and locate the Bulk Action box.
4. Click [+] next to Bulk Action.
5. On the Bulk Action Details screen, specify values in the fields that you want the bulk action to
change. Leave all other fields blank.
6. In the Save Bulk Action as field, enter a name for this bulk action.
7. (Optional) Select Shared to share this bulk action with other users.
8. Click Save.
The saved bulk action will be listed in the Bulk Action drop-down menu in the Tickets screen.

APPLY A BULK ACTION TO A GROUP OF TICKETS

After you create a bulk action, you can apply it to a selected a group of tickets.

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets.

2. In the menu bar, select a ticket screen, or select Search Tickets and Search for the tickets you want
to change.
3. Select the tickets for bulk action.
l To select all tickets on the page, select the check box above the first column.
l To select individual tickets, select the check box in the first column of each ticket row.
4. Below the list of tickets, select an option from the Bulk Action drop-down menu.
5. Click the Run button to apply the bulk action.
A message summarizes the changes that are applied to the selected tickets.
6. Click OK.
A message confirms that the changes were applied.

RESOLVE A TICKET
When you have completed all activities required to resolve an issue, edit the ticket:

l Add a note to describe the resolution. Select the Solution check box because this helps other techs
when they search for solutions to similar issues.
l If this resolution would be helpful for other Web Help Desk users, click Create FAQ to create an
FAQ based on the ticket note.
l Change the Status to Resolved.

When you change the status to Resolved, Web Help Desk sends an email to the client asking them to
confirm that the issue is resolved.

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l If the client clicks Yes, Web Help Desk changes the Status to Closed.
l If the client clicks No, Web Help Desk reopens the ticket and notifies you.
l If the client does not respond within the specified number of days, Web Help Desk changes the
Status to Closed.

Merge tickets
You can merge two or more tickets and their associated attachments and messages into one ticket using
Merge Tickets. For example, if a client submitted three separate tickets for items related to the same
problem, you can merge the tickets into one single ticket.

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets > Search Tickets.

2. Use the Basic Search and Advanced Search tabs to locate the tickets you want to merge.
3. In the Ticket Results screen, select the check boxes next to the tickets you want to merge.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click Merge selected.
5. In the dialog box, click the drop-down menu and select the ticket that hosts all merged tickets.
6. Select Include Attachments to merge all attachments into the selected ticket.
7. Click Merge Tickets.
Web Help Desk combines all selected tickets and their associated notes and attachments to the
parent ticket.

Create parent/child service relationships

By default, all Web Help Desk tickets are created as service request tickets. If necessary, a tech can change
a service request to an incident or a problem ticket.

SERVICE REQUEST TICKETS

A service request is a planned request for a new or modified service. When you hire a new employee, you
can create service requests for setting up a workspace, purchasing a laptop computer, and assigning a
telephone number.

If you want to track multiple service requests within one ticket, you can create one ticket as the parent
service request and link the remaining service requests as children to the parent ticket. Use this option to
view the status of all child service requests within one ticket.

For example, Jessie Burns is setting up a new server room in her department. She decides to purchase 12
1U rack mount servers and 12 1U rack mount storage systems. She creates a new service request, and
indicates that she wants to purchase this computer equipment for his department. She submits separate
service requests for the servers, storage systems, and computer racks, because they are all purchased
from separate vendors. To manage this project, she opens his initial request for computer equipment as
the parent service request, clicks the Requests tab, and links the remaining service requests as children to
the parent ticket.

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The parent ticket displays each service as a linked child ticket. Linking the tickets will help Jessie manage
his service requests for new equipment. When all service requests are resolved, Jessie can close the
parent service request ticket.

When you close a parent service request ticket, all child service requests are not closed
automatically.

INCIDENT AND PROBLEM TICKETS

An incident is an unplanned event that causes an interruption or reduction in service. If the new employee
receives a laptop computer and cannot connect to the corporate network, you create a service request
ticket that a tech can later classify as an incident. If you encounter two or more similar incidents, you can
link the incident tickets to a problem ticket.

A problem identifies the root cause of one or more incidents. If the new employee and several other
employees cannot log in to the corporate network, you can create a service request ticket that a tech can
later classify as a problem. The tech can then link all incident tickets as supporting incidents (or children)
to the problem ticket. This process—known as parent-child service relationships—is used to group identical
tickets together so you can troubleshoot and resolve all tickets as one problem. When the incident tickets
are resolved, you can close all tickets simultaneously by closing the parent ticket. All incident tickets are
resolved as a group.

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Although linking incident tickets to a problem ticket is not required, it does make managing these
tickets easier. For example, once linked, you can see the status of any incident and navigate to it
within the properties of the problem ticket. In addition, closing a problem ticket automatically closes
all incident tickets, which means that you do not need to close the incident tickets one at a time.

For example, Janet, Ellen, and Bruce submit a service request ticket stating that they cannot access their
email in Microsoft Outlook. After researching the problem, you discover that your Microsoft Exchange
server is down and needs to be restarted. To troubleshoot and resolve all client tickets in one ticket, you
can change the request type on one client ticket to Problem and the remaining tickets to Incident. Then
link all the incident tickets to the problem ticket so they are shown as linked incidents. When all incidents
are resolved, you can close the parent ticket.

When you close a parent problem ticket, all incident tickets are closed automatically.

LINK CHILD TICKETS TO A PARENT TICKET

If you have multiple service requests that address the same issue, you can:

l Assign one of the tickets as the parent ticket (for incident and problem tickets)
l Assign a new ticket as the parent ticket (for service request tickets)

For example, if you have multiple incident tickets with a similar problem, change the ticket type in one
ticket to Problem and link the remaining Incident tickets to the Problem ticket. If you have multiple Service
Request tickets with related tasks, create a new Problem ticket that describes the task and link the related
Service Request tickets to the Problem ticket.

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LINK INCIDENT TICKETS TO A PROBLEM TICKET

1. Open the service request ticket that you want to change to a problem ticket.
2. Click Problem, and click Save.
The problem ticket is now the parent of each incident ticket.

3. Open the service request ticket that you want to change to an incident ticket.
4. Click Incident.

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5. Within the incident ticket, click the Problems tab.

6. Search for the problem ticket that you want to make the parent of the incident.
7. In the Action column, click Link to make the selected ticket the parent of the current ticket.

8. Save your changes.

9. Repeat steps 3 - 8 for each incident you want to link to the parent.

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 10. To manage the tickets as a group, open the problem ticket and perform the following actions, as
necessary.

Click a child ticket to open its details.

Click delete if you want to remove the relationship between the problem and the
incident.

When you add a note to the problem, you can also propagate the note to linked
incidents.

When you close a problem ticket, all linked incident tickets also close.

A tech cannot email all Incident ticket recipients from a Problem ticket. However, if a Problem
ticket is set to Closed, all Incidents tickets are Closed. This action generates a Ticket Closed
email to all Incident ticket recipients.

LINK SERVICE REQUEST TICKETS TO ONE SERVICE REQUEST

Perform this procedure to track multiple service requests in one service request ticket. This process can
help you track all incidents related to a problem in your company, such as a network failure or power
outage.

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1. Create a service request ticket that will be the parent ticket.

2. Open a service request ticket that you want to link to the parent ticket.
3. Within the service request ticket, click the Requests tab.

4. Search for the service request ticket that you want to make the parent ticket.

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 5. In the Action column, click Link to make the selected ticket the parent of the current ticket.

6. Save your changes.

7. Repeat steps 2 - 6 for each incident you want to link to the parent.
8. Open the parent ticket.
9. Monitor the status of each child ticket until they are resolved. When completed, close the parent
ticket.

When you close the Problem ticket, the Child tickets are not closed automatically. You must close
each individual ticket.

LINK SUB-CHILD TICKETS TO CHILD TICKETS

You may have a service request that is the sub-child of an existing child ticket. For example, if a user
cannot access email, a service technician may suggest re-installing Microsoft Outlook before diagnosing a
connection issue with the Microsoft Exchange server.

In this situation, open the sub-child ticket (for example, reinstalling Microsoft Outlook) and add the child
ticket as the parent ticket. The child ticket is now in the Linked Parent box. Next, open the child ticket and
add the parent ticket as the linked parent. The parent ticket is now in the Linked Parent box.

If you add a sub-child ticket to an existing parent-linked child ticket, Web Help Desk generates an error
message stating that the child and sub-child tickets are both related to each other at the same level.

To correct this issue:

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1. Open the child ticket and delete the link in the Linked Parent box.
2. Open the sub-child ticket.
3. In the top right section, click the Problems tab.
4. In the tab window under Request Search, select the appropriate field parameters to locate the
targeted child ticket.
A list of related tickets appear, based on your search parameters.
5. In the Search Result window, locate the targeted child ticket.
6. In the Action column, click Link.
A dialog box opens at the top of the screen verifying your selection.
7. Click OK.
8. Click Save.
The parent ticket is displayed in the Linked Parent box and the sub-child ticket is displayed in the
Linked Children box.

ADD NOTES TO PARENT AND CHILD TICKETS

When you create a service request, you can add notes and attachments that provide additional
information to address the request. This process allows your help desk and service technicians to work
together and solve a customer issue.

For example, if you hire a new employee and create a parent ticket to address linked child service requests
(such as purchasing a new computer system and installing software applications), you can add notes and
attachments in the parent ticket about specific hardware and software requirements that propagate to the
first-level service requests and assigned service technicians. If a service technician experiences a problem
with configuring the new employee's computer system, he can add notes and attachments to the service
request that appear in the parent ticket (if desired) and associated sub-child tickets.

When you add notes and attachments to parent and child tickets, the following rules apply:

l Parent ticket notes propagate to first-level child tickets. Parent ticket notes do not appear in sub-
child tickets.
l Child ticket notes propagate to the linked parent ticket (if desired) or first-level sub-child tickets.
l Propagated notes can be edited in the ticket where the technician created the note.

To create a parent or child ticket note:

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 1. Locate and open a parent, child, or sub-child ticket.
2. In the Notes tab, click New.

3. In the text editor, enter the text for your note.

4. Select the appropriate check box to process your note.
l Visible to Client: make this note visible to clients of this ticket.
l Solution: assign this note as the solution.
l Date Override: set a custom time stamp to the note.
l (Child and sub-child tickets only) Show in Linked Parent: display the note in the linked parent
ticket.
5. Select any additional Work Time, Billing Rate, and Attachments options.
6. Click Save.
If you added a note to a parent ticket, the note is now in the parent ticket and the first-level child
tickets.
If you added a note to a child ticket, the note is now in the child ticket, parent ticket (if you selected
Show Linked Parent in step 4), and linked sub-child tickets.
To view the attachment, click the link in the note.
7. Click Save to save the ticket changes.

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AUTOMATE PARENT/CHILD TICKET CREATION

You can automate the creation of related tickets by configuring tasks that initiate by action rules.

1. Configure a task with elements. Create a task with one or more related task elements with the Link
to Parent check box selected in each task element.
2. Configure an action rule that executes the task. Create an action rule that runs these tasks and
elements when a new ticket is created or modified.
3. Create parent/child tickets. Create child tickets automatically when a ticket matches the criteria in
an action rule.

When a tech creates a new ticket or edits an existing ticket, a child ticket represented by the task element
is created and linked to the new ticket.

You can configure action rules to load balance ticket processing to assigned techs in other tech
groups during periods of high call volume. See Load balance action rules for ticket processing for
more information.

CONFIGURE A TASK WITH ELEMENTS

Configure a new task that automates your ticket creation process. For example, if you are working with your
HR department to on-board an employee, you can create a task called New Employee and attach the
following task elements to the task.

TASK ELEMENTS REQUEST TYPE

Configure a new computer system IT/General

Set up an employee phone and phone number Phone/Voicemail

Configure a new employee workspace Facilities

When you create each task element, ensure that the Link to Parent check box is selected. When completed,
the task elements display in the Task Elements tab for the task, as shown below.

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If you select Link to Parent in the Task Elements tab window, your selected task elements are inherited
from the parent ticket (for example, location, room, or tech) and Inherit displays in the Request Type and
Request Detail columns. If the inherited elements include a location, room, or tech, Inherit displays in the
Location, Room, and Tech columns, depending on the elements you choose to inherit from the parent
ticket.

The Generate Next column displays when each task element is triggered. When you arrange your task
elements in a specific order, you can control when the next element is triggered. The On Creation status is
selected by default in the Task Elements tab window, which immediately triggers the next element after
the previous element is triggered. If you select another status in the Generate Next Element row of the
Task Elements tab window (such as Open, Pending, Closed, Canceled, or Resolved), your selected status
displays in the Generate Next column for your task element.

The following illustration shows a list of task elements that inherit all tasks from the parent ticket. Each
task triggers at a separate stage, depending on the options you select in the Task Elements tab window.

When you configure your task elements, the following rules apply:

l Each task you configure at Setup > Tickets > Tasks can include multiple task elements.
l The Link to Parent check box must be selected in a task element that triggers the execution of the
next task element.
l A linked child ticket with a task element set to Generate Next Element: When Status Equals must
match the status setting (such as Closed or Resolved) to trigger the next task element.
l The parent ticket cannot be changed until the linked task elements are completed.

LINK A CHILD TICKET TO THE PARENT

When you click a request type link in the Request Detail column, the Task Elements tab window displays.
Selecting the Link To Parent check box displays the Inherited column in the tab window. Using this column,
you can select the field data you want to inherit from the parent ticket.

Web Help Desk only creates one level of child tickets.

The following screen provides an example of a child ticket displaying the Inherited column.

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You can use the Inherited column to select the field data you want to inherit from the parent ticket. If you
deselect Link to Parent, all previous selections are removed, and you can edit the child ticket fields as
needed. If you select Link to Parent again, the Inherited check boxes are cleared, and you must select your
options. The Subject and Request Detail fields are combined with the parent ticket and appended with a
space between both field values.

After you select the Inherited column check boxes, perform the following steps:

1. In the Generate Next Element row, select when your task element is triggered.
2. Click the Element Order drop-down menu and select when this task is triggered in comparison with
your existing task elements.
3. Click Save to save your changes.
4. Navigate to the Task Elements tab window and ensure all tasks are listed in the proper order and
generate the next element when each task equals a specific status.

Some fields include specific logic used to inherit selected field data from the parent ticket. The following
table describes the inherited field logic for specific fields in the child ticket.

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 FIELD INHERITED FIELD LOGIC

Subject When you select one of these fields, the field is appended to the
value of the parent ticket.
Request Detail
If any of these fields are empty, the child ticket inherits the
Custom Text
corresponding field value of the parent ticket.

Tech When you select this field, the child ticket inherits the value of the
parent ticket, and the Tech drop-down menu is disabled. When you
Request Type
clear this check box, the drop-down menu returns to its preselected
Asset No. value.

All non-text custom fields

Attachments When you select this field, the child ticket inherits all attachments
from the parent ticket.

CONFIGURE AN ACTION RULE

After you create your New Employee task and the associated task elements, create a new action rule that
executes the task when a tech creates a ticket that matches the action rule criteria in a ticket.

For example, to execute the New Employee task, you can create a new rule with the following elements:

l Action Rule Info: Create a rule named On-board New Employee and select the Enabled check box.
l Criteria tab: Under Tickets matching ALL of these conditions, you can select Subject | Contains |
New Hire.
l In the Actions tab drop-down menus, select Run Task | New Employee.

Only shared tasks display in the drop-down menu.

After you click Save, the new On-board New Employee rule displays in the Action Rules tab.

CREATE PARENT/CHILD TICKETS

When a ticket matches the criteria in an action rule, the action rule executes the task you selected to run.

For example, the On-board New Employee action rule executes the New Employee task and associated
elements when the Subject field in the ticket contains New Hire. When a tech creates and saves a ticket
that matches the action rule criteria, Web Help Desk executes the On-board New Employee action rule,
triggering the New Employee task and associated task elements.

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When completed, all four tickets are created.

See Action rules and Create tasks for more information.

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Manage assets
Web Help Desk provides the following options to work with assets:

l Discover assets
l Manually add assets
l Remove assets
l Edit asset properties
l Add purchase orders
l Search assets
l Reserve assets
l Import asset data

How asset management works

Asset management is a set of processes used to track the deployment, use, and maintenance of assets
across an enterprise. An asset is any item owned by a company. For example, IT assets can include items
such as servers, laptops, and monitors.

SolarWinds Web Help Desk provides IT asset management functionality, including:

l A central repository for assets

l Discovering Windows-based assets and importing assets from other repositories
l Inventory maintenance and record keeping
l Integration with DameWare Remote Support software for troubleshooting
l A reporting engine that you can use to generate preconfigured and custom reports

CENTRALIZED REPOSITORY
Web Help Desk maintains a complete product catalog of all assets owned by your company, which includes
price and warranty details. With a customizable asset details form, you can track your client assignments,
purchase orders, warranty information, and configuration details.

ASSET DISCOVERY
Using a built-in scanning engine, Web Help Desk can discover your network systems based on subnet or IP
range. Using scheduled WMI discovery, Web Help Desk can periodically poll endpoints to update hardware
and software inventory information, including:

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l Host name
l Model
l Serial number
l Operating system
l Hard drive
l Memory
l Installed software

You can also import asset inventory information from third-party asset discovery tools, spreadsheet
records, and network management systems. If you are running SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
(NPM), Server & Application Monitor (SAM), or Network Configuration Manager (NCM), you can synchronize
your Web Help Desk node and asset discovery in your corporate network.

Web Help Desk also integrates with third-party asset discovery tools, such as Casper and Microsoft SCCM
(System Center Configuration Manager).

INVENTORY MAINTENANCE AND RECORD KEEPING

You can use Web Help Desk to associate asset details with service requests so you can track the ticket
history for each asset. You can also manage information about purchase orders, parts, and billing. For
example, when you enter purchase order information for an asset, Web Help Desk calculates warranty and
lease end dates, and notifies you prior to the expiration date.

Techs and clients can use the Web Help Desk reservation center to select a checkout time and date range
for a specific asset. You are notified when a checked-out asset is due, helping you to identify overdue, lost,
or stolen inventory.

TROUBLESHOOTING
To simplify troubleshooting and support, you can launch remote desktop sessions directly from your asset
inventory. With built-in integration with DameWare Remote Support software, in addition to native remote
desktop protocol (RDP) and virtual network computing (VNC) connections, you can establish remote
sessions with user systems and provide instant assistance.

DameWare requires the user be within the network.

REPORTING
You can use Web Help Desk to generate asset reports based on location, department, asset type, asset
status, and purchase and warranty dates.

Reports can help you:

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 l Find assets approaching the end of warranty
l Identify the most problematic assets
l Report on reserved assets that are overdue

Discover assets
Web Help Desk supports several methods of automated asset discovery. Using one or more of these tools,
you can synchronize Web Help Desk with your selected discovery tool and import the assets into the Web
Help Desk database.

Web Help Desk discovers assets using its native WMI discovery engine and can pull assets from the
following asset discovery tools and databases:

l Apple Remote Desktop 3.x and later

l Casper Recon Suite

l LANrev Client Manager 4.6.4

l Systems Management Server (SMS) / Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)

l Database Table or View

l SolarWinds NPM asset synchronization

l SolarWinds SAM asset synchronization

l SolarWinds NCM asset synchronization

l Lansweeper 5.x

Use the Attribute Mapping tab to map asset custom fields to the discovery tool attributes. The
available asset attributes you can map depend on your selected discovery tool. These values come
directly from the discovery tool’s database.

CONFIGURE THE ASSET DISCOVERY TOOLS

You can configure Web Help Desk to use the following asset discovery tools:

l Absolute Manage (LANrev)

l Apple Remote Desktop 3.2
l Apple Remote Desktop 3.3 and Later
l Casper Asset Discovery 8 and Earlier
l Casper Asset Discovery 9
l Database Table or View
l Lansweeper

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l Microsoft SMS/SCCM
l NCM, NPM, or SAM
l WHD Discovery Engine (WMI)

CONFIGURE THE ABSOLUTE MANAGE (LANREV) SETTINGS

A Web Help Desk integration with Absolute Manage consists of two components:

l An Absolute Manage MySQL Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) connection to Web Help Desk.
l Remote control of the Absolute Manage system using a link in Web Help Desk.

To implement this integration:

1. Configure the Absolute Manage MySQL ODBC export, as described in the Absolute Manage User
Guide.
2. Configure the Absolute Manage admin console to respond to HTML requests from Web Help Desk,
as described in the Absolute Manage User Guide.
3. Create and configure an Absolute Manager connection in Web Help Desk to import client inventory
data from the Absolute Manage MySQL database and enable the Absolute Manage inventory and
remote control links.
a. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Assets > Discovery Connections.
b. In the Asset Discovery Connections window, click New.
The Connection Basics tab displays.
c. In the Connection Name field, enter a name for this connection.
d. Click the Discovery Tool drop-down menu and select Absolute Manage (LANrev).
The tab window expands to include additional fields.
e. Complete the remaining fields as required. See the tooltips for additional information.
f. Click Save.
Your changes are saved.
g. Click the Attribute Mapping tab.
h. Click Edit.
i. Map the desired custom asset fields. The Asset attributes are different for each discovery
tool, mapping directly to the values in the discovery tool’s database.
j. Click Save.
k. Click Assets > Search Assets to view your imported assets.

CONFIGURE THE APPLE REMOTE DESKTOP 3.2 SETTINGS

To use Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) 3.2, enable and configure the ARD PostgreSQL database to allow
network connections. Web Help Desk provides a setup script to create the configurations for you. When
completed, scan all assets that must be included in Web Help Desk and then run a System Overview report
in ARD. The System Overview Report option exports the asset data to the ARD PostgreSQL database.

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 1. Download WHDRemoteDesktopBridge.dmg from the SolarWinds Downloads site.
2. Run the bridge installer on the Web Help Desk server.
3. Install Apple Remote Desktop on the discovery database server.
4. Start Apple Remote Desktop and ensure it is scanning for computer systems.

5. Configure ARD for TCP/IP access.

Ensure that:
l The Remote Desktop is started before you configure the database for TCP/IP access.
l You record the Apple script connection settings. The Apple script configures the ARD
database to enable TCP/IP access, and then displays your database connection information.
Record these connection settings, as you must add them to Web Help Desk.
6. Open Remote Desktop and select the systems to import.
7. Navigate to Report > System Overview and click Run to run a System Overview Report.

ARD does not remove systems from the database when they are no longer included in a
System Overview report. Remove any retired assets from ARD before synchronizing with Web
Help Desk.

8. In Web Help Desk, click Setup > Assets > Discovery Connections.
9. Click New.
10. In the Connection Name field, enter a name for this connection.
11. Complete the remaining fields as required. See the tooltips for more information.
12. Click the Attribute Mapping tab.
13. Click Edit.
14. Map the desired custom asset fields. The Asset attributes are different for each discovery tool,
mapping directly to the values in the discovery tool’s database.
15. Click Save.
16. Click Assets > Search Assets to view your imported assets.

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CONFIGURE THE APPLE REMOTE DESKTOP 3.3 AND LATER SETTINGS

Using Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) 3.3 requires no additional configuration on the SQLite database to
create the connection.

CONFIGURE AN ARD 3.3 CONNECTION IN WEB HELP DESK

1. Install Apple Remote Desktop on the Web Help Desk server.

Beginning in version 3.3, Apple Remote Desktop uses a local SQLite database to store report
data. Install Apple Remote Desktop on the same system as Web Help Desk to sync inventory
data.

2. Start Apple Remote Desktop and ensure that the application scans for systems.
3. Open Remote Desktop and select the systems to import.
4. Navigate to Report > System Overview and click Run to run a System Overview Report.

ARD does not remove systems from the database when they are no longer included in a
System Overview report. Remove any retired assets from ARD before synchronizing with Web
Help Desk.

5. In Web Help Desk, click Setup > Assets > Discovery Connections.
6. Click New.
7. In the Connection Name field, enter a name for this connection.
8. Click the Discovery Tool drop-down menu and select Apple Remote Desktop.
9. In the Remote Desktop Version row, select 3.3 or later. Click the tooltip for additional information.
10. Complete the remaining fields as required. Click the tooltips for more information.
11. Click Save.
12. Click the Attribute Mapping tab and click Edit.
13. Map the desired custom asset fields to ARD’s attributes.
The asset attributes are different for each discovery tool, mapping directly to the values in the
discovery tool database.
14. Click Save.
15. Click Assets > Search Assets to view your imported assets.

CONFIGURE CASPER 8 AND EARLIER SETTINGS

To set up a discovery connection for Casper in Web Help Desk:

1. In the toolbar, click Setup, select Assets > Discovery Connections, and then click New.
2. Click the Discovery Tool drop-down menu and select Casper as the discovery type.
3. In the Casper MySQL Database Host and Port fields, enter your Casper IP address and port number,
respectively.

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 4. In the Database Name field, enter the name of your database.
5. In the Username and Password fields, enter the database user name and password, respectively.
6. (Optional) In the Auto-Sync Schedule row, select the day or days to auto-sync and define a time and
how often to run the auto-sync.
7. In the Advanced Options section, complete the check boxes and selections as needed.
Click the tooltips for more information.
8. Click Save.
9. Click the Attribute Mapping tab.
10. Click Edit.
11. Map the desired custom asset fields to Casper’s attributes.
The asset attributes are different for each discovery tool, mapping directly to the values in the
discovery tool’s database.
12. Click Save.
13. Click Assets > Search Assets to view your imported assets.

See the JAMF Software website for information about importing assets directly from the JAMF software
database, which stores information about assets in the JAMF Software Server (JSS),

CONFIGURE THE CASPER 9 SETTINGS

To set up a discovery connection for Casper 9 in Web Help Desk:

1. In the toolbar, click Setup, select Assets > Discovery Connections, and then click New.
2. Click the Discovery Tool drop-down menu and select Casper 9.
3. Complete the remaining fields.

For more information about any field, see the tooltips.

4. Click Save.
5. Click the Attribute Mapping tab.
6. Click Edit.
7. Map the desired custom asset fields to Casper’s attributes.
8. The asset attributes are different for each discovery tool, mapping directly to the values in the
discovery tool database.

9. Click Save.
10. Click Assets > Search Assets to view your imported assets.

CONFIGURE THE DATABASE TABLE OR VIEW SETTINGS

To create a discovery connection for a Database table or view:

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1. Click Setup and select Assets > Discovery Connections.

2. In the Asset Discovery Connections window, click New.
3. In the Connection Name field, enter a name for the connection.
4. Click the Discovery Tool drop-down menu and select Database Table or View.
5. Complete the remaining fields as required. All bold fields are required.

For more information about any field, see the tooltips.

6. Click Save.
7. Click Assets > Search Assets to view your imported assets.

CONFIGURE THE LANSWEEPER SETTINGS

You can configure Web Help Desk to periodically discover assets stored in Lansweeper Network
Management.

Before you begin, locate the following Lansweeper information:

l IP address and port number

l Login and password
l Database logon and password

To configure Web Help Desk to discover assets stored in Lansweeper:

1. In the toolbar, click Setup > Assets > Discovery Connections.

2. Click New.

3. In the Connection Name field, enter a name for the new connection.
4. Click the Discovery Tool drop-down menu, and select Lansweeper.

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 5. Enter the Lansweeper database host name, port number, database name, user name, and password.

6. Complete the remaining fields as required, and click Save.

The Attribute Mapping tab displays.

For more information about any field, see the tooltips.

7. Click the Attribute Mapping tab and map the asset fields as appropriate. All bold selections are
required.
8. Click Save.
To view the imported assets, click Assets > Search.

CONFIGURE THE MICROSOFT SMS/SCCM SETTINGS

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Assets > Discovery Connections.
2. In the Discovery Connections screen, click New.
3. In the Connection Name field, enter the appropriate name for this connection.
4. Click the Discovery Tool drop-down men and select Microsoft SMS/SCCM as the discovery type.
The screen expands to include new field options.
5. Complete the remaining fields as required.

For more information about any field, see the tooltips.

6. Click Save.
7. Click Assets > Search Assets to view your imported assets.

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CONFIGURE THE NCM, NPM, AND SAM SETTINGS

You can configure Web Help Desk to periodically discover assets stored in SolarWinds Network
Performance Monitor (NPM), Server & Application Monitor (SAM), and Network Configuration Manager
(NCM).

Before you begin, locate the following information:

l SolarWinds Orion Platform system IP address and port number

l SolarWinds Orion Platform login and password
l System database’s login and password

To configure Web Help Desk to discover assets stored in SolarWinds NPM, SAM, or NCM:

1. In the toolbar, click Setup.

2. Select Assets > Discovery Connections.
3. Click New.

4. In the Connection Name field, enter a name for the new connection.

5. Click the Discovery Tool drop-down menu and select one of the following, depending on which
connection you want to discover your assets:
l SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
l SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
l SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
To discover your assets using more than one SolarWinds product, you must configure
separate discovery connections for each product.

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 6. Enter the NPM, SAM, or NCM database host name, port number, database name, user name, and
password.

7. Complete the remaining fields as required.

For more information about any field, see the tooltips.

8. Click the Attribute Mapping tab, and map the asset fields as appropriate. All bold selections are
required.
9. Click Save.
10. To view the imported assets, on the toolbar, click Assets > Search.

CONFIGURE THE DISCOVERY ENGINE

The Web Help Desk Discovery Engine (WMI) allows you to discover Microsoft Windows-based assets based
on subnet or IP range. By using scheduled WMI discovery, Web Help Desk can periodically poll endpoints
to update hardware and software inventory information, including:

l Host name
l Model
l Serial number
l Operating system

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l Hard drive
l Memory
l Installed software

The Discovery Engine uses a set of administrator credentials to scan at least one IP address range for a
new discovery connection. Web Help Desk stores and encrypts all administrator credentials in the
database with the connection parameters (such as IP ranges and schedule).

Using this discovery connection, you can create separate Discovery and Auto-Sync job schedules. A
Discovery job scans a selected IP address range and discovers endpoints that accept at least one of the
saved credentials. The first time you run the discovery job, it forces an auto-sync (collection) that collects
configuration data from endpoints retrieved by the discovery job.

1. On the toolbar, click Setup > Assets > Discovery Connections.

2. Click New.
3. Enter a name for the connection.

4. Select WHD Discovery Engine (WMI).

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 5. Enter the IP Ranges for the discovery engine to scan.

6. Enter the credentials.

7. Complete the remaining fields as required.
8. Click the Attribute Mapping tab and map the asset fields. All bold selections are required.
The asset attributes are different for each discovery tool, mapping directly to the values in the
discovery tool’s database.
9. Click Save.
10. Run the discovery job manually, or wait until the scheduled discovery job completes.
11. To view the imported assets, click Assets > Search on the toolbar.

INSTALL THE MYSQL JDBC DRIVER

To ensure compliance with MySQL licensing restrictions, the MySQL JDBC driver is no longer bundled with
the Web Help Desk. If you are connecting to a MySQL database (such as that used by certain asset
discovery connections), you will need to manually install the MySQL JDBC driver.

The lowest version you can run in your WHD deployment is Connector/J 5.1.27. Be aware that
SolarWinds does not support this connector.

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INSTALL THE DRIVER ON A WINDOWS SYSTEM

1. Download the latest MySQL JDBC Driver from the MySQL website.
Choose the Platform Independent option and downlolad the driver as a ZIP archive.
2. Locate JDBC driver mysql-connector-java-<version>-bin.jar inside the downloaded ZIP
archive.
3. Copy the JDBC driver into the following category:
\Program Files\WebHelpDesk\bin\jre\lib\ext
4. Restart Web Help Desk
The MySQL JDBC driver is installed on your system.

INSTALL THE DRIVER ON A MAC SYSTEM

1. Download the latest MySQL JDBC Driver from the MySQL website.
Choose the Platform Independent option and downolad the driver as a ZIP archive.
2. Locate JDBC driver mysql-connector-java-<version>-bin.jar inside the downloaded ZIP
archive.
3. Copy the JDBC driver into the following category:
/Library/Java/Extensions
4. Restart Web Help Desk
The MySQL JDBC driver is installed on your system.

INSTALL THE DRIVER ON A LINUX SYSTEM

1. Download the latest MySQL JDBC Driver from the MySQL website.
Choose the Platform Independent option and downolad the driver as a ZIP archive.
2. Locate JDBC driver mysql-connector-java-<version>-bin.jar inside the downloaded ZIP
archive.
3. Copy the JDBC driver into the following category:
/usr/local/webhelpdesk/bin/jre/lib/ext
4. Restart Web Help Desk
The MySQL JDBC driver is installed on your system.

INSTALL THE OPENBASE JDBC DRIVER

The OpenBase JDBC driver is not bundled with Web Help Desk 12.3.1 and later. To create an asset
discovery connection in these versions to an OpenBase database, download the latest
OpenBase JDBC Driver and manually install the driver in your Web Help Desk system.

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INSTALL THE DRIVER ON A MICROSOFT WINDOWS SYSTEM

1. Download the latest OpenBase JDBC driver from the OpenBase website.
2. Extract the ZIP file to a directory.
3. Open the OpenBaseJDBC_Jan2009 directory and navigate to OpenBaseJDBC_Jan2009\JDBC_
01.15.2009.
4. Locate the OpenBaseJDBC.jar file.
5. Copy the file to the following directory:
<WebHelpDesk>\bin\webapps\helpdesk\WEB-INF\lib\
6. Restart Web Help Desk.
7. The OpenBase JDBC driver is installed on your system.

INSTALL THE DRIVER ON AN APPLE OS X SYSTEM

1. Download the latest OpenBase JDBC driver from the OpenBase website.
2. Extract the ZIP file to a directory.
3. Open the OpenBaseJDBC_Jan2009 directory and navigate to OpenBaseJDBC_Jan2009/JDBC_
01.15.2009.
4. Locate the OpenBaseJDBC.jar file.
5. Copy the file to the following directory:
Library/WebHelpDesk/bin/webapps/helpdesk/WEB-INF/lib/
6. Restart Web Help Desk.
The OpenBase JDBC driver is installed on your system.

INSTALL THE DRIVER ON A LINUX SYSTEM

1. Download the latest OpenBase JDBC driver from the OpenBase website.
2. Extract the ZIP file to a directory.
3. Open the OpenBaseJDBC_Jan2009 directory and navigate to OpenBaseJDBC_Jan2009/JDBC_
01.15.2009.
4. Locate the OpenBaseJDBC.jar file.
5. Copy the file to the following directory:
usr/local/WebHelpDesk/bin/webapps/helpdesk/WEB-INF/lib/
6. Restart Web Help Desk
The OpenBase JDBC driver is installed on your system.

SYNC AND DISCOVER ASSETS

1. Ensure that:
l Your discovery connections are configured correctly.
l Your assets are mapped correctly.

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2. Click Sync Now for the desired connection.

Web Help Desk prompts you to sync assets with your connection.
3. Click OK.
4. In the Connection Basics tab under Discovery Status, monitor your discovery and collection
progress and results.
5. When the discovery and sync process is completed, click Done.

Manually add assets

1. Click Assets and select Search Assets.
2. In the Search Assets lower window, click New Asset.
3. Complete the fields as required.
Click the tooltips for additional help.

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 4. Click Asset Details and complete the fields as required.
Click the tooltips for additional help.

5. Click Save.

For information about import options and discovery tools, see Discover assets.

Search assets
You can search for assets in the Basic or Advanced tabs. Basic searching provides a simplified subset of
the search criteria available in the advanced search mode.

To sort your search results, click the appropriate column header. To download the search results in PDF,
TSV, or Excel format, click the appropriate icon.

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REFINE YOUR SEARCH RESULTS

Your search results can include a large amount of asset data. To reduce your search results, use the
Column Set drop-down menu and select a column format. Click [+] to add a new column set, or edit the
selected column set by clicking the pencil icon.

SAVE A QUERY
1. Define your search criteria using the same method explained in Search tickets.
2. Click the Advanced Search tab.
3. In the Save Query as field, enter an appropriate name.
4. Select the Shared check box to allow other techs to use this search.
Depending on your access level, you may not have access to the Shared box.
5. Click Save.

RUN A QUERY
Select the query name from the Query menu at the top of the search results display. When selected, the
query runs automatically.

Remove assets
In Web Help Desk, the default aging interval for all assets is 90 days. If a node is not rediscovered or
provided data within the last 90 days, its life cycle status changes from Active(0) to DECOMISSIONED
(2).

To update the default aging interval:

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 1. Locate and open the appropriate configuration file in a text editor.
For Microsoft Windows systems, open the wrapper_template.conf file located at:
webhelpdesk\bin\wrapper\conf\wrapper_template.conf
For Linux and Apple OSX systems, open the whd.conf file located at:
WebHelpDesk\conf\whd.conf
2. In the file, update the value in the following JAVA_OPTS parameter:
-Dasset.agingInterval=30d
In this example, all Web Help Desk assets are decommissioned if not rediscovered within 30 days.
3. Save and close the file.

If Web Help Desk discovers the asset after the decommission, the asset will become active in Web
Help Desk again.

See Configure WHD discovery engine (WMI) settings for information about removing or changing the
status of an undiscovered, decommissioned asset listed in the Web Help Desk database.

Edit asset properties

1. In the toolbar, click Assets and select Search Assets.
2. Click the Basic Search tab.
3. Select and/or complete the appropriate fields to locate the asset.
For additional search options, click Advanced Search and complete the fields in the window.
4. Click Search.
Your search results display in the bottom window.

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5. In the No. field, click the asset number icon.

The Asset tab windows display.

Each tab window provides unique information.

l Asset Basics provides general asset information you can edit, including the asset type, model
location, and status.
l Asset Details provides detailed asset information you can edit, including serial number,
version, and IP address.
l Asset History provides dates and actions when an asset was removed, modified, or changed
status, as well as the associated tech. You cannot edit this information.
l Ticket History provides the ticket number, date, status, and problem report associated with the
asset, as well as the associated tech in each instance. This information cannot be edited.
6. In the window, click the Edit icon.
7. Make any changes as required.
8. Click the Asset Details tab.
9. Make any changes as required.
10. Click Save.

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CREATE PARENT AND CHILD ASSOCIATIONS
In the Asset Basics tab, you can link assets as a parent or as a child of another asset. When you assign
parent/child associations to your assets, the following conventions apply:

l A parent asset can have any number of child assets.

l A child asset cannot be a parent to another asset.
l Removing the parent status orphans all the child assets for that parent.
l Child assets can be removed individually from a parent.
l A child asset can have any number of parent assets.
l Child assets inherit priorities from the parent objects including location, status, and other
properties.
l Parent/child status is set by adding child assets to a parent asset. You cannot add a parent to a
child.

ADD ASSETS AS CHILDREN OF A PARENT ASSET

1. In the toolbar, click Assets and select Search Assets.

2. Click the Basic Search tab.
3. Select or complete the appropriate field to locate the asset.
For additional search options, click Advanced Search and complete the fields in the window.
4. Click Search.
5. In the No. field, click an asset number.
The Asset Basics tab windows appears, displaying information about your selected asset.
The Child Assets box displays at the bottom of the window.
6. Click the Edit icon at the top of the window.
7. In the Child Assets tabbed box, click Edit.
The Asset Lookup box displays.
8. Select or enter the search criteria to locate the appropriate asset, and then click Search.
The Search Results box appears with a list of assets.
9. Click Link to select one of the listed assets as a child asset.
10. In the Asset Lookup box, click Done.
The asset is added as a child asset.
11. Click Save.
The asset is saved as a child asset.

REMOVE ASSETS AS CHILDREN OF A PARENT ASSET

1. In the toolbar, click Assets and select Search Assets.

2. Click the Basic Search tab.
3. Select or complete the appropriate field to locate the asset.
For additional search options, click Advanced Search and complete the fields in the window.

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4. Click Search.
Your search results appear in the bottom window.
5. In the No. field, click the appropriate asset number icon.
The Asset Basics tab windows appears, displaying information about your selected asset.
The Child Assets box appears at the bottom of the window.
6. Click the Edit icon at the top of the window.
7. Click the trash can next to the child asset you want to remove.
8. Click Save.

Add purchase orders

The Web Help Desk purchase orders feature tracks your asset purchases and leases.

This feature is not designed to replace your company’s current accounting or ordering systems. Web
Help Desk does not create purchase orders, but rather stores information about purchase orders.

ADD A VENDOR
Before you add a new PO, add one or more vendors into the database.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Assets > Vendors.

2. Click New.
3. In the Vendors information screen, complete the fields as required.
4. Click Save.

ADD A PURCHASE ORDER

1. In the toolbar, click Assets and select Purchase Orders.
2. In the window, click New or New Purchase Order.
3. In the PO Number field, enter a unique number.
4. In the Order Date field, add the date when the purchase order was entered.
5. In the Invoice Date field, enter the date when the vendor shipped the product. This date is used to
calculate the warranty and lease expiration date.
6. Click the Vendor drop-down men and select the vendor.
7. In the Order Type row, select Lease or Purchase.
8. In the Originator row, enter the last name of the client who created the PO request.
9. In the Deliver To row, enter the last name of the client who receives the purchased items.
10. Click Attachments and add any supporting documentation (if required).
11. In the Notes box, enter any additional information about the purchase order (if required).
12. Click Save.

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ADD PURCHASE ORDER LINE ITEMS
After you save the purchase order, you can add line items to the purchase order using the line item editor.
These line items can include individual parts and their associated costs.

When you add purchase order line items, use the following conventions:

l Associate specific assets by providing a valid asset number. If you link a line item to an asset
number that does not exist or is already linked to another PO, Web Help Desk generates an error
message.
l All line items must define a model and may contain part number and price information. Assets can
also be associated to a PO from within the Asset detail view.
l Include a “free” line item defined in the PO to link the asset. For example, if you add a new Apple
Macintosh asset, you could associate it with the free line item because the computer system line
item is free (not linked) to any asset number.

1. Select a purchase order.

a. Click Assets and select Purchase Orders.
b. In the Purchase Order Search window, complete the files with your search information and
click Search.
c. In the PO Number column, click the appropriate purchase order number.
2. Click the Pencil to edit the PO.
3. In the Line Item box, complete the appropriate fields as required.
Your line items must define a model and may contain part number and price information. Assets can
also be associated to a PO from within the Asset detail view.
4. Click New Line Item to add additional line items.
5. When completed, click Save.

IMPORT PURCHASE ORDERS

See Import data for details about importing purchase orders.

Reserve assets
To ensure that your assets are available when needed, use the Asset reservation feature.

1. In the toolbar, click Assets and select Search Assets.

2. Search and select the Asset you want to reserve.
3. Edit the asset.
4. Select the Reservable check box.
5. Click Save.

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SET UP ASSET RESERVATIONS AS A TECH

1. In the toolbar, click Assets and select Reservations.
2. Click New or New Reservation.
3. In the Client Lookup box, select the client who will check out the Asset.
4. In the Reservation Details tab, set the Scheduled Out and Scheduled In dates and times.
5. In the Asset Lookup tab, locate the asset you want to reserve.
6. Click the asset you want to reserve.
7. Click Save.

SET UP ASSET RESERVATIONS AS A CLIENT

An administrator must provide clients permission to reserve an asset before clients can use the reserve
asset feature.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Assets > Options.

2. In the Asset Options screen, select Clients Can Search Assets.
3. (Optional) If you selected Clients Can Search Assets, select Limit to Assigned and Reservable (if
applicable).
4. Click Save.

RESERVE AN ASSET AS A CLIENT

1. In the client interface, click Assets.
2. Click Search.
3. Locate your asset.
4. Select the Reserve check box.
5. Click Reserve Checked.
A calendar window appears, allowing you to select a reservation date or range of dates.
To select a reservation date range, click the first day of the reservation, drag the cursor to the last
day of the reservation, and then click Save.
To remove a reservation, click the trash can on the reservations page.

CHECK ASSETS IN AND OUT

Only Techs can check reserved assets in or out.

1. In the toolbar, click Assets and select Reservations.

2. In the Search screen, complete the fields as required.
3. Click Search to locate your reserved assets.
4. In the Reservation Details screen, click Check In to check in an asset.

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 Click Check Out to check out an asset.
5. Click Save.

Import asset data

Use the Import Assets screen located at Setup > Data Import > Import Assets to add asset data into Web
Help Desk.

To ensure a successful data import, use the Assets Import template.

See Import data using templates for information about applying templates.

1. Click Setup and select Data Import > Import Assets.

2. In the Import Assets screen, complete the fields as required.
Click the tooltips for additional information.
3. Click Import.
The file is imported into Web Help Desk.

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Import and export data
To import data, configure Web Help Desk to connect to your network using one or more of the following
tools:

l Absolute Manage
l Apple Remote Desktop
l JAMF Casper
l Lansweeper
l Microsoft SMS/SCCM
l Web Help Desk (using WMI)

See Discover assets for information on how to set up connections with these discovery tools.

The data import options let you import data in bulk, rather than manually adding individual items. You can
import data using either predefined templates, or by using an asset discovery tool. Web Help Desk
provides templates in three formats: Excel spreadsheets, tab-separated variable (TSV) files, and comma-
separated variable (CSV) files.

Use template data imports for the following Web Help Desk selections:

l Locations
l Clients
l Assets
l Purchase Orders
l Tickets
l FAQs
l Parts
l Inventory

See Use templates to import data for details on how to set up and apply Web Help Desk templates to
import your data.

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Use templates to import data

After you set up your connections using the discovery tools described in Discover assets, you can import
data from files in tab-separate-values (TSV), comma-separated-values (CSV), or Excel formats.

Web Help Desk uses templates to ensure data files are formatted correctly. The first data row in the file
must match the appropriate template, which you can download from the Setup > Data Import menu.
SolarWinds recommends downloading this template and copying and pasting it into the data file.

For all but the ticket import format, the import file format matches the TSV downloads formats available for
each entity.

TSV TEMPLATES
A typical TSV template contains column headings similar to the following client TSV template.

When you click Download Template in the Import Clients screen and download the template file, you can
re-import the file into the Clients importer template.

Because ticket TSV downloads are typically used for reporting instead of bulk changes, the columns in the
ticket TSV download match the columns in the selected column set rather than the columns in the ticket
import template.

If you are using an Excel spreadsheet to format the data and your data file contains Unicode
characters, deselect the MS Excel Unicode (UTF-16) file encoding option—both in Excel and in Web
Help Desk.

DATA IMPORT TYPES

The following table lists the type of import and the fields required for the import.

TYPE OF IMPORT REQUIRED FIELDS

Location Location Name

Companies Company Name, Manager Tech Username

Clients Last Name, User Name, E-Mail

Assets Asset Type, Manufacturer, Model

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 TYPE OF IMPORT REQUIRED FIELDS

Purchase Orders PO Number, Vendor

Tickets Open Date, Request Type

FAQs Category, Question, Answer

Parts Part Number, Manufacturer, Our Cost, Customer Cost

Inventory Part Number, Location, Count

IMPORT DATA USING TSV, CSV, OR EXCEL TEMPLATES

Click the tooltips for additional information.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select Data Import.

2. In the drop-down menu, select an import type.
3. In the Import Assets screen, complete the fields and selections as required.
4. Click Download Template.
5. Populate the template with the required information.
Use the following conventions:
l To prevent failed imports, do not change the data order or delete columns in any import.
l Define all inventory import parts in Web Help Desk before you import your inventory.
l If the tickets implement request sub-types, enter the type and sub-type in the Type column
and separate the type and sub-type with a semicolon.
l Do not use commas or currency symbols in your template.
6. Import the populated template to Web Help Desk.

Export data
The following table lists the data types and corresponding export formats to use when you export your
Web Help Desk data.

TSV file cells are limited to 32KB.

DATA TYPE EXPORT FORMATS

Tickets PDF, TSV, and Excel

Clients TSV and Excel

Assets PDF, TSV, and Excel

Parts TSV and Excel

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DATA TYPE EXPORT FORMATS

FAQs TSV and Excel

See View, print, or download reports for instructions on how to run a Web Help Desk report.

EXPORT TICKETS
You can export ticket data to a TSV format for export to other locations or applications.

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets.

2. Select the check boxes next to the tickets you want to export.
3. In the Tickets toolbar, click and select Tickets PDF or Download TSV to download a file format
containing a list of tickets.
4. Save the PDF or TSV file to your hard drive or other location.

To open the TSV file in Excel, open a new Excel workbook and drag the file into the workbook. Adjust the
column widths as required.

EXPORT CLIENTS
You can export Client information to a TSV or Excel format for export to other locations or applications.

1. In the toolbar, click Clients.

2. In the Clients toolbar, click TSV or Excel to download a file format containing a list of clients.
3. Save the file to your hard drive or other location.

To open the TSV file in Excel, open a new Excel workbook and drag the file into the workbook. Adjust the
column widths as required.

EXPORT ASSETS
You can export asset information to a PDF, TSV, or Excel format and send the file to other locations or
applications.

1. In the toolbar, click Assets.

2. In the Basic Search or Advanced Search tabs, complete the fields and click Search.
Your assets display on the screen.
3. Click PDF, TSV, or Excel to export your asset list to a specific file format.
4. Save the file to your hard drive or other location.

To open the TSV file in Excel, open a new Excel workbook and drag the file into the workbook. Adjust the
column widths as required.

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EXPORT PARTS
You can export parts information to a TSV or Excel file to export to another location or application.

1. In the toolbar, click Parts.

2. In the Parts screen, click TSV or Excel to download a file format containing a list of parts.
3. Save the file to your hard drive or other location.

To open the TSV file in Excel, open a new Excel workbook and drag the file into the workbook. Adjust the
column widths as required.

EXPORT FAQS
You can export FAQs information to a TSV or Excel format for review or export the file to another location or
application. .

1. In the toolbar, click FAQs.

All existing FAQs display on your screen. To search for specific FAQs, complete the search fields and
click Search.
2. Click TSV or Excel to download a file format containing a list of FAQs.
3. Save the file to your hard drive or other location.

To open the TSV file in Excel, open a new Excel workbook and drag the file into the workbook. Adjust the
column widths as required.

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Create and edit reports
Reports can show statistics and aggregated data (such as totals or averages). They can also represent data
graphically (as bar charts and pie charts) to help you compare groups of tickets or assets.

Reports display information about tickets, assets, and billing. They are useful for showing the total or
average value of one type of item in relation to a second type of item. Examples include:

l How many tickets did each tech close?

l How many tickets were opened against each asset?
l How many assets are checked out in each location?
l What is the average work time per ticket request type?
l How many tickets were opened against each request type?

Reports can be displayed in the web interface or generated in PDF format. You can also create schedules
to automatically run reports and email them to groups of recipients.

From any report, you can click the ticket or asset total to display detailed information about the items
included in that total.

The Reports screen includes a list of predefined reports that focus on asset, billing, and ticket
information. You can also create composite reports that link together a mixture of reports. Each report can
include charts or tables that display the number of items in possible categories.

Click Reports in the toolbar to access the Reports screen.

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Sample reports
Using sample reports included with Web Help Desk, you can create asset and ticket reports to help you
monitor technician performance, customer support needs by location, and incidence frequency. Using
additional features incorporated into Reports, you can categorize reports into report groups, generate
survey results, and schedule automated reports for distribution.

Bar and pie chart configuration options

In Web Help Desk, ticket and asset reports can show information as a bar or pie chart, in addition to a
table.

To configure a bar or pie chart, you must specify the Category and Chart Metric options. Understanding
these options helps you create reports that display the information you need.

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CATEGORY
Each bar or slice represents a group of tickets or assets. The Category is used to group the tickets or
assets. (It is the element that each bar or slice represents.) To select a Category, choose the element you
want to compare.

For example:

l In this bar chart, tickets are grouped by assigned tech. Each bar represents a tech.

The Category is Assigned Tech.

l In this pie chart, tickets are grouped by request type. Each slice represents a request type.

The Category is Request Type.

BAR STACK CATEGORY

For bar charts, you can also choose a Bar Stack Category. This setting can be used to subdivide the tickets
or assets within each bar. In the example below, the Bar Category is Assigned Tech and the Bar Stack
Category is Priority. Now you can see how many tickets are assigned to each tech, and whether any tech
has a large number of Urgent or High priority tickets.

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CHART METRIC
The Chart Metric determines the size of the bars or slices. In many cases, it is the total number of tickets or
assets in each group. For ticket reports, it can also be a time measurement, such as the open time or work
time.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER
In a bar or pie chart, the Category is the element being compared and the Chart Metric is the basis for
comparison. The Category and Chart Metric are reflected in the questions a chart can answer. For
example:

l Which techs closed the most tickets last month?

Category: tech

Chart Metric: ticket count

l Which assets are associated with the most tickets?

Category: assets

Chart Metric: ticket count

l Which tech has the shortest average first response time?

Category: tech

Chart Metric: average first response time

l Which location has the most open tickets?

Category: location

Chart Metric: ticket count

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Create report groups
Report Groups helps you organize your reports and control access to report data.

Report Groups control access to created reports sorted by Tech and Location Group. This ensures that
each Tech is only presented with reports within their scope of work.

1. In the toolbar, click Reports and select Report Groups.

2. In the Report Groups screen, click New.
3. In the Report Group Name field, enter the appropriate group name.

4. In the Tech Groups and Location Groups rows, select the Tech Groups, Location Groups, and
Department Groups that can access the reports.
5. Click the Included Reports tab.
6. Select the applicable Reports.
7. Click the Group Options tab.
8. Click Save.

Create Asset reports

Using Reports in Web Help Desk, you can build real-time reports on multiple assets based on the features
you choose. Asset reporting can help you better manage organizational assets by providing the statistics
you need to make informed decisions.

Use Asset Reporting to gather information on various data in your organization, such as:

l Number and types of assets in your corporate enterprise

l Assets approaching end of warranty or purchased within a specific data range
l Asset attributes such as Class, Location, and Warranty Type
l Number of tickets generated by asset issues
l Overdue, reserved, and reservable assets

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CREATE AN ASSET REPORT

1. In the toolbar, click Reports.
2. In the Reports screen, click New.
3. In the Report Name field, enter a name that identifies the report. This name will appear in the
report title.
4. (Optional) Click the Report Group drop-down menu and select a report group. Applying a Report
Group can make reports easier to find when you have many reports.

If no Report Groups are available, the default report group is Sample Reports. To create a new
report group, save the information currently in the Report Basics tab and see Create report
groups to learn how to build report groups.

To apply the newly-created Report Group to a report, select the report from the list of Web Help Desk
reports, click Edit, and select the Report Group.

5. Click the Report Type drop-down menu and select Asset Report.
6. Click Save.

7. Select the type of report to create:

l Bar chart
l Pie chart
l Table-only

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CREATE A BAR CHART ASSET REPORT
1. In the Chart Type row, ensure that Bar Chart is selected.
2. Click the Bar Category drop-down menu and select an option.
For example, if you select Model, the bar chart will include all assets by model.
3. Click the Bar Stack Category drop-down menu and select Asset Type to specify the data stacked on
each bar.
4. (Optional) To draw the bar stack categories with percentage values, select the Draw as percentages
check box.
5. Complete the remaining fields as required.
Click the tooltips for more information.
6. (Optional) Add a report filter.
a. Select the Report Filters tab.
b. Click New.
c. Click the Filter Attribute drop-down window and select an option.
For example, if you select Model, the report filters all assets by model.
7. In the Report Details window, click Save.
8. Click Run Report to generate the report.
The report displays, as shown in the following illustration.

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CREATE A PIE CHART ASSET REPORT

1. In the Chart Type row, select Pie Chart.
2. Click the Pie Slice Category drop-down menu and select an option to indicate which data the pie
slices represent.
For example, if you select Model, the pie slices in the report will represent assets by model.
3. For each category, select how many asset types and locations to show in the chart. Pie charts default
to show the top 10 items, unless you specify another number.
For the best illustration, keep the number of items shown in the pie chart to 15 items or less. If you
need to add more than 15 items to a pie chart, consider using a bar chart instead.
4. To include a table in the report, select the number of items to include in the table.
The default amount of items shown in tables is 100.
5. Complete the remaining fields as required.
Click the tooltips for more information.
6. (Optional) Add a report filter.
Report filters restrict the tickets included in the report by specifying the attribute values that should
be excluded. For example, a Status Type filter could restrict the report to Open or Pending status
types. Click the Help icon in the Report Filters tab for more information.
7. a. Select the Report Filters tab.
b. Click New.
c. Click the Filter Attribute drop-down window and select an option.
If your filter attribute is identical to the report category, only the values allowed by the filter
appear in the report.
For example, if you select Model, the report filters all assets by model.
8. In the Report Details window, click Save.

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 9. Click Run Report to generate the report.
The report appears, as shown below.

CREATE A TABLE ONLY ASSET REPORT

1. In the Chart Type row, select Table Only.
2. Click the Row Category drop-down menu and select Model to indicate which data appear in the
table rows.
3. Click the Column Category drop-down menu and select an option.
For example, if you select Asset Type, the table columns in the report will represent assets by model.
4. Complete the remaining fields as required.
Click the tooltips for more information.
5. (Optional) Add a report filter.
a. Select the Report Filters tab.
b. Click New.
c. Click the Filter Attribute drop-down window and select an option.
For example, if you select Model, the report filters all assets by model.
If your filter attribute is identical to the report category, only the values allowed by the filter
appear in the report.
d. Click the Report Details tab.

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6. In the Report Details window, click Save.

Your changes are saved.
7. Click Run Report.

The report appears, as shown below.

Create ticket reports

1. In the toolbar, click Reports.
2. Click New.
3. In the Report Name field, enter a name used to identify the report. This name will appear in the
report title.
4. (Optional) Click the Report Group drop-down menu and select a report group. Applying a Report
Group can make reports easier to find when you have many reports.
5. Click the Report Type drop-down menu and select Ticket Report.
The Report Details and Report Filters tabs appear. These tabs define what the report looks like and
the data it contains.

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 6. Click Save.
The Report Details tab window displays.

7. Select the type of report to create:

l Bar Chart
l Pie Chart
l Table Only

CREATE A BAR CHART TICKET REPORT

1. In the Chart Type row, select Bar chart.
2. Click the Bar Category drop-down menu and select the appropriate category for your report.
3. Click the Bar Stack Category drop-down menu and select an option to specify the data stacked on
each bar.
4. Complete the remaining fields as required.
Click the tooltips for more information.
5. Click Save.

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6. (Optional) Click the Report Filters tab to add a report filter.

a. Click New.
b. The Report Filters Options appear.
c. Click the Filter Attribute drop-down menu and select the ticket attribute that will apply to the
filter.
d. In the Filter Type row, select how the values chosen for the filter will be included or excluded
from the report.
Select Inclusive to include tickets with one of the selected values.
Select Exclusive to exclude tickets with one of the selected values.
7. Click Save.
8. In the Report Details window, click Run Report.
In the example below, Day of Week Opened is the bar category and Ticket Type is the bar stack
category.

CREATE A PIE CHART TICKET REPORT

1. In the Chart Type row, select Pie Chart.
2. In the Pie Slice Category row:
a. Click the drop-down menu and select the appropriate category.
b. Click the Show drop-down menu and select the appropriate number of items to appear in the
pie chart.
c. Select the Show non-zero items only check box to only display items containing one or more
values.
3. Complete the remaining fields as required.
Click the tooltips for more information.
4. Click Save.

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 5. (Optional) Click the Report Filters tab to add a report filter.
a. Click New.
b. Click the Filter Attribute drop-down menu and specify the ticket attribute that will apply to the
filter.
c. In the Filter Type row, select how the values chosen for the filter will be included or excluded
from the report.
Select Inclusive to include tickets with one of the selected values.
Select Exclusive to exclude tickets with one of the selected values.
6. Click Save.
7. In the Report Details tab window, click Run Report.
The example bar chart below uses Day of Week Opened for the Pie Slice Category.

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CREATE A TABLE ONLY TICKET REPORT

1. In the Chart Type row, select Table Only.
The Report Details tab window includes options for creating a table chart.

2. Complete the fields as required.

Click the tooltips for more information.
3. (Optional) Add a report filter.
a. Click the Report Filters tab.
b. Complete the fields as required.
4. Click the Report Details window.
5. Click Save to save the report.

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 6. Click Run Report.
The report appears, as shown below.

This report uses the following settings:

l Row Category: Status

l Column Category: Location Group
l Repetition Category: Assigned Tech
l Table Data: Tickets

Create ticket billing reports

Billing Reports generate a table showing the total work time, parts cost, and labor cost accrued for a set of
tickets.

1. In the toolbar, click Reports.

2. Click New.
3. In the Report Name field, enter a name used to identify the report.
This name will appear as the report title.
4. (Optional) Click the Report Group drop-down menu and select a report group.
5. Click the Report Type drop-down menu and select Billing Report.
6. Click Save.
7. Click the Category drop-down menu and select the category used to generate the rows in the
report.

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8. (Optional) Select the Show Filters check box to indicate whether a list of the filters configured for
the report will be included in the report.
9. In the Time Range row, determine the amount of time to include in the report.
The time range applies to the date you select in the Date Attribute for Time Range drop-down menu.
10. Click the Date Attribute for Time Range drop-down menu and select a ticket date attribute to use
when applying the values you select for the Time Range.
11. (Optional). Click the Report Filters tab to add a report filter.
a. Click New.
The Report Filters Options appear.
b. Click the Filter Attribute drop-down menu and specify the ticket attribute that will apply to the
filter.
c. In the Filter Type row, select how the values chosen for the filter will be included or excluded
from the report.
Select Inclusive to include tickets with one of the selected values.
Select Exclusive to exclude tickets with one of the selected values.
12. Click Save.
13. In the Report Details tab, click Run Reports.
The example below shows a generated billing report with Tech Group as the selected category in the
Report Details tab window.

Create a custom report

If the preconfigured reports in Web Help Desk do not show the information you need, you can add a
custom report. The following sections provide examples of two custom reports: a bar chart showing open
tickets by tech, and a table showing tickets closed by request type.

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OPEN TICKETS BY TECH
This example shows how many open tickets are assigned to each tech. The information is displayed in a
bar chart, which you can use to quickly identify techs with the highest number of open tickets. Each bar is
subgrouped by ticket priority.

1. In the toolbar, click Reports.

2. Click New.
3. On the Report Basics tab, enter the report name and request type.

4. Report groups are optional. If you have a large number of reports, you can use them to
classify the reports.

5. Click the Report Details tab.

6. As the Chart Type, select Bar chart.

7. As the Bar Category, select what each bar represents. In this example, each bar represents a tech.

For more information about bar and pie chart options, see Bar and pie chart configuration
options.
8. As the Bar Stack Category, select Priority to subdivide each bar by ticket priority.

9. As the Chart Metric, select the measurement that determines the height of each bar. In this example,
the height reflects the number of tickets.

10. Select Show Table to display this information in a table below the bar chart.

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11. For this report, leave the time range blank so that it will include all open tickets. When the time
range is blank the Date Attribute has no impact, so you can accept the default.

12. Click the Report Filters tab, and then click New.
13. Create a filter to include only tickets with a Status of Open.

14. Click Save, and then click Run Report.

The bar chart shows the number of open tickets for each tech. This information is also shown in a
table below the chart.

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TICKETS CLOSED BY REQUEST TYPE WITH WORK TIME
This example shows how many tickets of each request type were closed during the previous week. It also
shows the total amount of work time for each group of tickets. The information is displayed in a table
because tables can include multiple data points for each ticket.

1. From the report list, click New.

2. On the Report Basics tab, enter the report name and request type.

3. Click the Report Details tab.

4. As the Chart Type, select Table only.

5. Select the value used to define the table rows. In this example, the table will include a row for each
request type.

6. Select the value used to define the table columns. In this example, leave the Column Category
blank. The table will include one data column showing totals for the week.
To include columns that show subtotals for each day, select Date Closed as the Column
Category.

7. Select the information that will be shown in each table cell.

8. Select the time range that the report will include. Select the Round back option to include the
previous week from Sunday through Sunday (rather than today and the previous seven days).

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9. To include only tickets closed during the specified time range, select Date Closed as the Date
Attribute.

10. Click Save, and then click Run.

The report shows the total number of tickets and total work time for each request type.

Modify an existing report

Web Help Desk provides a set of predefined reports. You can use these reports as they are, or modify them
to meet your needs.

The following example makes changes to the Assets with most Tickets for the last quarter report. By
default, this report shows the number of tickets for each asset during the past quarter. This helps you
identify individual assets that generate a large number of tickets. Instead, the report will be modified to
show which asset models generate the most tickets, and to show the information for the previous month.

1. In the toolbar, click Reports.

2. Click the name of the report to open it.

3. On the Report Details tab, change the Bar Category from Asset No. to Model. Each bar will represent
an asset model instead of an individual asset.

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 4. For the Bar Stack Category, select Asset No. This subdivides each bar by individual assets to identify
individual assets generating more tickets than others with the same model.

5. Click the Report Filters tab, and then click the name of the existing filter to open it.

6. Change the Time Range to include only the previous month.

7. Click the Report Basics tab, and then change the name of the report to reflect its new contents.

8. Click Save, and then click Run.

The bars represent asset models, and the subgroups in each bar represent individual assets.

View, print, or download reports

You can manually run a Web Help Desk report at any time.

Alternatively, you can create a report schedule to distribute reports at regular intervals.

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1. In the toolbar, click Reports.

The reports page lists all available reports.
2. Locate the report.
If you created report groups to classify your reports, you can select a report group in the
upper-right corner to filter the list.

3. Click a button in the right column to run the report.

Displays the report at the bottom of the current Web Help Desk browser tab.

Displays a printable web view in a new browser tab.

Creates a PDF version of the report that you can download and print or distribute.

Schedule reports
Use report schedules to automatically generate one or more reports in PDF format and email them to the
specified recipients via their default outgoing email accounts. Recipients can be clients, techs, or people
who do not have Web Help Desk accounts.

This example schedules two asset reports to be distributed at the beginning of every month.

1. In the toolbar, click Reports and then select Report Schedules.

2. Click New.
3. Enter a name to identify this report schedule.

4. Specify how often the report is distributed and when the distribution begins.

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 5. (Optional) Update the email message to which the reports will be attached.
See the tooltips for more information about any field.

6. To distribute the report to clients, search for a client and then click the client name.
If you defined a connection to an LDAP server, the Search LDAP check box is displayed. Select this
option to include names from the LDAP directory in the search. Point to the Search LDAP label for
more information.
7. To add recipients who are not Web Help Desk clients and techs, enter their email addresses in the
Other Recipients E-Mails field.
8. To distribute the reports to techs:
a. Click the Tech Recipients tab.
b. Click Edit.
c. Select the techs and click Save.
9. Select the reports to include.
a. Click the Included Reports tab.
b. Click Edit.
c. Select the reports and click Save.

10. Click Done.

The new schedule is activated and available in the Report Schedules screen.

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Set up parts and billing
You can track your parts inventory in one or multiple store locations by part number, manufacturer, and
model. When parts are deployed to a ticket, Web Help Desk automatically deducts the part from inventory,
allowing you to maintain an accurate parts inventory in your deployment.

Using additional tools in Web Help Desk you can:

l Add parts to a location

l Add parts to a ticket
l Manually adding parts
l Configure inventory alerts
l Enable service time blocks
l Customize billing statements

Add parts to a location

1. In the toolbar, click Parts.
2. Click the Inventory tab.
3. In the fields and drop-down menus, select your search criteria and click Search.
To list all parts, leave all search fields empty and click Search.
4. Click the Storage Location drop-down menu for a specific part and select a storage location.
5. In the Add Count field, add the number of available parts.
To reduce the number of available parts, use a negative number. For example, to change the
number of available parts from 6 to 5, enter -1.

6. Click Save.
When a part inventory reaches zero, the inventory status changes from Available to Back
Ordered.

Add parts to a ticket

1. In the toolbar, click Tickets.
2. Click the targeted ticket number.
3. Click the Parts and Billing tab.
4. In the Part Search box, enter and select the appropriate information to locate the part.
5. Click Search.
The Search Results box displays, displaying the location and number of available parts.

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6. In the Inventory column, click the part location.

The part displays in the Assigned Parts box.

To remove defective parts from inventory, enter the number of parts in the DOA field. Web Help Desk
removes the cost of the DOA parts from the ticket and list DOA parts in a separate area in your
billing reports.
To remove an entire parts line item and return the parts back to inventory, click the trash can.
7. Click Save to save your changes.

Manually add parts

1. In the toolbar, click Parts.
2. In the Parts List tab, click New.
3. In the Part No. field, enter a part number.

4. Click the Manufacturer drop-down menu and select a manufacturer.

You can add manufacturers and models at Setup > Asset >Manufacturers & Models. For more
information about adding manufacturers and models, see Defining asset types.

5. Click the Model drop-down menu and select a model.

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 6. In the Description field, enter a description of the item.
7. In the Our Cost and Customer Cost fields, enter the appropriate amounts.
8. Select the Tax Free check box if this item is not applicable to state or local taxes.
9. Select the Inventory Alerts Enabled check box to receive an alert when inventory falls below a
certain level.
10. In the Notes field, enter any applicable notes.
11. Click Save.

Configure inventory alerts

You can configure the frequency and recipients for all email alerts—for example, when your inventory
threshold falls below your specified level for parts a client regularly requests.

1. Click Setup > Parts & Billing > Inventory Alerts.

2. In the Inventory Alerts screen, click the first Inventory Alert Interval drop-down menu and select a
value from 0 to 100.

3. Click the second Inventory Alert drop-down menu and select the appropriate alert frequency.
4. In the Default Inventory Alerts Recipients field, enter the email addresses for each recipient who
will receive inventory alerts.

Click the tooltips for more information.

5. Click Save.

OVERRIDE DEFAULT INVENTORY ALERT RECIPIENTS

1. Click Setup and select Companies and Locations > Locations and Rooms.
2. In the Location Name column, click the appropriate location.
3. Edit the information in the tab windows as required.
4. Click Done.

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Enable predefined service time blocks

1. In the toolbar, click Setup > Parts & Billing > Options.
2. In the Parts & Billing Options screen, select the Enable Location Service Time Blocks check box.

3. Select the appropriate option to enable time blocks.

4. Click Save.

For an expired block, the usable value may be lower than the block value depending on how much
time was used before the block expired.

The amount of service time available for a location displays within the Ticket Details of a ticket
under the location pop-up. If the value is negative, it appears in red.

Customize billing statements

You can customize billing statements by editing the invoice.html file located in the following directory:

WebHelpDesk\\bin\webapps\helpdesk\WEB-INF\lib\whd-
web.jar\Resources\Invoice.wo\Invoice.html

For example, if you wanted to remove the signature line, you could remove lines 433 - 438:

<fo:table-row>

<fo:table-cell number-columns-spanned="<webobject
name=LineItemColumnCount></webobject>" padding-top="10mm">

<fo:block font-family="FreeSans, ArialUnicodeMS,

sans-serif" font-size="10pt" text-
align="right"><webobject name =
"SignatureLbl"></webobject>: <fo:leader leader-
length="4.0in" leader-pattern="rule" rule-

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 style="solid" color="black"></fo:leader>

</fo:block>

</fo:table-cell>

</fo:table-row>

After you delete these lines or make any other changes, restart Web Help Desk to enable your changes.

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Manage client feedback
Surveys provide valuable feedback from your clients. After you close a ticket, you can provide your clients
the option of completing a survey.

You can link surveys to a specific ticket for a single client, or send surveys as general questionnaires to a
number of clients. The survey is located at the top of the ticket e-mail and in the Help History page of the
client interface.

Create surveys
1. In the toolbar, click Setup > Surveys > Surveys.
2. In the Surveys screen, click New.
3. In the Survey Name and Description fields, enter the appropriate information for your survey.

4. Complete the remaining fields as required.

Click the tooltips for additional information.

5. Click Save.

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SET THE SURVEY OPTIONS

1. In the toolbar, click Setup > Surveys > Options.
2. Complete the remaining fields as required.
Click the tooltips for additional information.

3. Click Save.

CREATE AN AUTOMATIC SURVEY

1. Click Setup and select Tickets > Request Types.
2. In the Request Types column, click the appropriate request type.
3. In the Request Type screen, click the Survey drop-down menu and select a survey.
4. Click Save to automatically implement the survey.

For example, if you click Hardware in the Request Types screen and select Default Survey in the Survey
drop-down menu, the client automatically receives the default survey for a hardware request type.

See Defining Request Types for information about defining a request type.

CREATE A MANUAL SURVEY

You can manually send out surveys to a group of clients by clicking Send Survey in the client search results
header. After you submit a survey, you can view but not edit the survey.

1. In the toolbar, click Clients.

2. In the Basic Search or Advanced Search tabs, enter the appropriate information to locate one or
more clients.
To list all clients, leave the search fields blank.
Hover your mouse arrow over the selections for tooltips.

3. Click Search.
4. In the search results toolbar, click Send Survey.

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 5. In the Survey Invitation Mailer screen, click the Survey drop-down menu and select a survey.
6. Edit the survey content (if required).
7. Click Save & Email.

Create messages
Use this feature to send messages to techs and clients.

1. In the toolbar, click Messages > Create Messages.

2. Click New Message.
3. In the Message screen, complete the fields as required.
Click the tooltips for additional information.

4. Click Save.
The message is sent to your selected recipients.

View ticket and survey results

You can examine your survey results from within a ticket. Simply open the targeted ticket and click the
Survey View icon in the ticket screen.

You can also view the survey summary data on both the ticket and general surveys in the Survey Results
screen. Survey reports are the only way to view the results of a general (non-ticket) survey.

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1. In the toolbar, click Reports and select Survey Results.

2. In the Survey Results screen, select the survey you want to view.

To narrow the spoke of the results, complete the information in the fields and drop-down
menus.

3. When you complete your selections, click Run Report.

Send email ticket surveys

You can send a general email ticket survey to one or more clients for each closed ticket. Clients can access
surveys by replying to the email or by selecting History from the top menu.

You can select a survey in the Setup > Tickets > Request Types screen.

1. In the toolbar, click Clients.

2. In the Basic Search and Advanced Search tabs, select the appropriate criteria to locate clients who
will receive your survey.

Hover your mouse over Search LDAP for additional information.

3. Click Search.
4. In the generated table, select the appropriate clients to receive the survey.
5. Click Send Survey.
6. In the Survey Invitation Mailer screen, click the Survey drop-down menu and select a survey.

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 7. Review the survey E-Mail Subject and Message Preview boxes and modify the email message content
as required.

Click the tooltips for more information.

8. Click Save & E-Mail.

9. Click OK to send the survey to your selected clients.

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SolarWinds Orion alert integration
Web Help Desk integrates with the following SolarWinds applications running on SolarWinds Orion
Platform 2012.2 or later:

l Network Configuration Manager (NCM)

l Network Performance Monitor (NPM)
l Server and Application Monitor (SAM)

Using a communication link (or SolarWinds connection) between Web Help Desk and a supported Orion
Platform, Web Help Desk can generate help desk tickets that respond to monitored events occurring in
your corporate enterprise, such as a failed hard drive or a change in server health.

After you configure a SolarWinds connection in Web Help Desk and a shared alert is triggered (for
example, a SolarWinds-monitored network node failed for any reason), the Orion Platform sends Web Help
Desk an HTTP request to create an alert-based ticket. You can configure Web Help Desk to receive all or
only specific alerts to generate a corresponding ticket that addresses the issue described in the alert.

Integrating Web Help Desk with your Orion Platform applications helps you ensure that all monitored
alerts are addressed in a timely manner. If your monitored servers and applications are located in a
remote area or you have limited staff to monitor your corporate enterprise, Web Help Desk can
automatically route the issue to the appropriate tech who can address the problem in the least amount of
time.

Prepare request types for alert-based tickets

A request type determines how alerts are routed to the appropriate tech for problem resolution. When you
create your SolarWinds connection, select the request type that closely matches the connection.

You can select one request type for one SolarWinds connection.

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For example, if you are creating a connection to SolarWinds SAM to address alerts related to server health,
click the WHD Request Type drop-down menu and select a request type linked to a tech group that
troubleshoots and resolves server issues.

Alert-based ticket example

Below is an example of a Web Help Desk ticket generated from a SolarWinds Orion alert. The fields
included in the ticket are not an all-inclusive list.

Web Help Desk ticket fields can vary, depending on the data included in the Orion alert. The field names
shown below are examples of what you can use in the filtering rules.

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Below are some notes that appear in the Web Help Desk ticket from the Orion alert.

Configure Orion-to-Web Help Desk ticketing

You can configure your SolarWinds Orion Platform to generate alerts triggered in SolarWinds NPM, NCM,
and SAM when a network event occurs—for example, when a node fails for any reason. When specific
alerts are shared with Web Help Desk, Web Help Desk automatically generates a ticket based on the alert.

To configure SolarWinds Orion-to-Web Help Desk ticketing:

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1. Enable SolarWinds Orion to share alerts with Web Help Desk.

2. Test Orion server access to the integration email account.
3. Enter a SolarWinds Orion alert source.
4. Configure the alert filtering rules.
5. Test the alert filtering rules.

ENABLE THE SOLARWINDS ORION PLATFORM TO SHARE ALERTS

WITH WEB HELP DESK
When a monitored event generates a shared alert in your Orion platform, the alert is transmitted to Web
Help Desk through an integrated connection. Web Help Desk processes the request through a set of filters
you configure in a SolarWinds server link, creates a help desk ticket, and forwards the ticket to the
appropriate tech group for troubleshooting and resolution.

If you upgraded to Orion Platform 2015.1.0 or later, the Advanced Alert Manager and Basic Alert
Manager are deprecated from the Orion release. Alerts are now created and managed in the
SolarWinds Orion Web Console.

Web Help Desk does not support the following condition introduced in Orion Platform 2015.1.0:

See the appropriate section depending on your Orion Platform version:

l Configure Orion alert sharing for Orion Platform 2015.1.0 and later
l Configure Orion alert sharing prior to Orion Platform 2015.1.0

To enable the SolarWinds Orion Platform to share alerts with Web Help Desk:

CONFIGURE ORION ALERT SHARING FOR ORION PLATFORM 2015.1.0 AND LATER
The following example describes how to create and configure an Orion Platform 2015.1.0 and later shared
alert with Web Help Desk. In this example, Orion will send Web Help Desk an alert concerning a failed
node. Your steps may vary.

1. In the Orion Web Console, create an alert or open an existing alert.

See Creating and managing alerts in the Orion Platform Admin Guide for more information.
2. Scroll to the end of the Summary panel.

3. Maximize Alert Integration and select the Integrate alert check box.

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 4. Select the properties you want to include in the alert, and click Submit.
Web Help Desk uses the actual property names as alert fields in rules used to filter Orion
alerts.

CONFIGURE ORION ALERT SHARING PRIOR TO ORION PLATFORM 2015.1.0

If you are running Orion with a core version prior to Orion Platform 2015.1.0, you can configure alert
sharing with Web Help Desk by enabling the Automatically share alert data with other SolarWinds
products and subscribers option. This option is located at Advanced Alert Manager > Configure Alerts
> edit_necessary_alert > Alert Sharing tab.

For more information about Orion alert properties, see Creating and Managing Alerts in the SolarWinds Orion
Platform Admin Guide.

EXAMPLE: CREATE AN ALERT FOR A FAILED NODE

The following example describes how to create and configure a shared alert for Web Help Desk using a
core version prior to Orion Platform 2015.1.0. In this example, Orion will send Web Help Desk an alert
concerning a failed node.

1. On the Orion server, click Start and select SolarWinds Orion > Alerting, Reporting, and Mapping >
Advanced Alert Manager.
2. Click Configure Alerts.

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3. In the Manage Alerts window, select the alert you want sent to Web Help Desk and click Edit.

4. In the Edit Alert dialog General tab, ensure the Enable this Alert option is selected.

The Orion server will send the alert only when this option is active.

5. Select the Trigger Condition tab.

6. Click Add and then click Simple Condition.

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 7. Click the first asterisk * in the condition, and then select Network Nodes > Node Details > Node
Name.

8. Click the second asterisk in the condition and select the node from which you want Web Help Desk
to receive alerts.
9. Click Add and then click Simple Condition.
10. Click the first asterisk [*] in the condition, and then select Network Nodes > Node Status > Node
Status.
11. Click the second asterisk [*] in the condition and select Down.
12. Select the Alert Suppression tab.

Make sure this tab is not configured. Otherwise, your system will not generate an alert to the
Web Help Desk system.

13. Select the Trigger Actions tab.

14. Click Add New Action, select Send an E-mail/Page, and then click OK.
15. In the E-Mail/Page Addresses tab, locate the Email/Pager Recipients box and enter the Web Help
Desk integration email address in the To field.

Ensure your network environment is configured to allow the Orion server to send email alerts
to the Web Help Desk integration email account. Check with your Orion system administrator
to find out which networks accept Orion server emails.

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16. Select the Message tab.

17. Review the message and note any variables in the message.
Consider adding these variables to the Web Help Desk alert filtering rules. See Configure alert
filtering rules for more information.
18. Click OK.
19. Click the Alert Sharing tab.
20. Select the following check box:
Automatically share alert data with other SolarWinds products and
subscribers
21. Set the Severity level.
The alert Severity level passes along to Web Help Desk. In this example, the Severity level is Warning.

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 22. In the Properties to Include box, review the property names in the Name column.

Properties in this example include:

l IP Address
l Object Sub Type
l Status Description
l Node Name
l Vendor
Web Help Desk uses the actual names of the properties as alert fields in rules it uses to filter
alerts from Orion.

23. Click OK, then click Done.

TEST ORION SERVER ACCESS TO THE INTEGRATION EMAIL

ACCOUNT
After you assign an Orion alert to the Web Help Desk integration email account, ensure that your Orion
server can access your Web Help Desk integration email account.

If the alert is for an intermittent event (such as a failed node), the following test procedure may not be
applicable unless you change the trigger condition to a reoccurring event. For example, if a node is not
down, the Orion server cannot trigger an alert.

To test your Orion server access, create or edit a test alert for a fairly constant condition (for example,
when a node is up and operating efficiently). Configure this test alert to forward to the Web Help Desk
integration email address on the Trigger Actions tab.

The following steps only apply to the Orion Platform prior to 2015.1.0.

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1. From the Start menu on the Orion server, navigate to SolarWinds Orion > Alerting, Reporting, and
Mapping > Advanced Alert Manager.
2. In the Alert Manager - Quick Start window toolbar, click Active Alerts.
The Orion server processes and displays the alert state. When completed, the server sends the alert
to the Web Help Desk integration email account.
Next, the Active Alerts tab displays the time when the alert was triggered.
If the alert does not appear in the Active Alerts tab:
a. Click Configure Alerts.
b. Select the alert, and then click Edit.
c. Check your alert settings and verify if the alert is configured correctly and the alert can be
tested.
For example, if the alert is configured for a down node and no nodes are down, you cannot test
your Web Help Desk integration email account using this alert.

For more information about networks that transmit Orion server integration emails, contact your Orion
system administrator.

ENTER A SOLARWINDS ORION PLATFORM ALERT SOURCE

To retrieve and process alerts from a SolarWinds alert source (such as SolarWinds NPM), add the server
link to Web Help Desk. This process creates a communications between the Orion platform and your Web
Help Desk server. When an event occurs, Web Help Desk can generate a ticket from the alert and forward
the ticket to the appropriate tech for troubleshooting and resolution.

Before you create a connection with a SolarWinds Orion alert source, ensure that the source is
running SolarWinds Orion Platform 2012.2 or higher. If you need to edit connection details for a
SolarWinds source, delete the existing source and create a new source.

1. In the toolbar, click Setup and select SolarWinds Integration > SolarWinds Connection.
2. In the SolarWinds Connection screen, click Add New SolarWinds Source.

3. In the Add New SolarWinds Source screen, enter the new SolarWinds source name in the Source
Name field.

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 4. Select a request type.

5. Enter the SolarWinds Server IP Address or Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).
6. Enter the SolarWinds administrator user name and password.
To ensure Web Help Desk can access the required SolarWinds alerts, enter administrator-level
SolarWinds account and credentials data into Web Help Desk.

7. Click Test.
When Web Help Desk creates a connection with a SolarWinds Orion alert source, the checked areas
in the window contain green check marks.

8. Click Next to continue.

CONFIGURE THE ALERT FILTERING RULES

You can configure an alert filter to recognize a specific issue in your SolarWinds Orion Platform and create
a help desk ticket based on that issue.

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FILTERS
Web Help Desk creates help desk tickets from Orion alerts by matching the Orion alert contents or features
to filters you set up in the application. To create alert filtering rules, apply the property names that exist in
your Web Help Desk Orion alerts.

These alerts can include default names or other types of name configurations assigned by the Orion user.
After you set up the SolarWinds server in Web Help Desk and gather information about your Orion alerts
and associated properties, configure Web Help Desk to transform Orion alerts into client tickets.

ABOUT RULE CONFIGURATION

By default, Web Help Desk does not monitor Orion Platform alerts. To transform alerts into Web Help Desk
tickets, select and define the appropriate rules so the application can recognize the alerts.

The following table describes the filtering rule types.

FILTERING RULE TYPE RULE DESCRIPTION

Matching Rule Defines the characteristics alerts must contain for Web Help Desk to
recognize and transform the alerts into tickets or ignore them.

These characteristics include:

l Severity level (such as Notice, Information, Warning, Critical,

and Serious)
l Field name (such as Date, Alert Type, Operating System, and
so on)
l Operator (such as equals, is not equal to, starts with, and so
on)
l Value, which can be any type of alphanumeric data

AND/OR block Specifies whether Web Help Desk accepts or rejects alerts based on
whether they meet Any or All child rules in a complex rule.

Child Rule Provides additional filtering on existing rules.

For example, when an initial filtering rule transforms all alerts with a
Critical severity into tickets, you can create child rules to transform
only Critical severity alerts from Windows 2008 and Windows 2011
systems into Web Help Desk alerts.

Complex Rule A set of rules that contain at least one parent rule (which can be a
Matching rule or an AND/OR block), plus one or more child rules.

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MATCHING RULES

Adding a new matching rule notifies Web Help Desk to match certain variables in alert text fields or a
defined severity level.

The following table provides the Web Help Desk filtering options.

FILTER OPTION DESCRIPTION

Accept alert Enables Web Help Desk to recognize the alert.

Reject alert Enables Web Help Desk to ignore the alert.

if Severity Matches alerts by severity level.

If you select this option, choose one of the following:

l is equal to: Select this option to match alerts by one of the following Orion
alert levels: Notice, Information, Warning, Critical, or Serious.
l is not equal to: Select this option to match all severity levels except the one
selected. If you select this option, choose one of the following alert levels to
ignore: Notice, Information, Warning, Critical, or Serious.

if Alert Field To further define rules, enter an Orion alert field variable.

In the following example, Web Help Desk will create a ticket from all Orion alerts containing Windows 8 in
the Operating System field.

The Operating System field must be added to the Orion Alert integration.

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COMPLEX RULES

You can add an And/Or block to a create a filter rule based on more than one condition. The Any rule
creates a ticket when any child condition is true. The All rule creates a ticket only when all child conditions
are true.

In the following All child rule example, a ticket is created when a node from an IP address is up and
component availability is down.

EXAMPLES: CONFIGURE AN ALERT FILTERING RULE

You must configure an alert filtering rule with a severity or include a severity and a match to a specific
alert field. You can add multiple alert field matches.

CONFIGURE A MATCHING RULE

The figures below show an example of a matching rule that accepts the alert if the value of the Node
Status field is Up.

1. Click Add new matching rule.

2. Select Accept alert or Reject alert.

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 3. Configure the rule based on the severity of the alert, or an alert field value.
For both the Accept alert and Reject alert options, Ignore case and Ignore white space are
active by default. To ensure the best results, leave these options selected.

ADD AN AND/OR BLOCK

The figures below show an example of an And/Or block that accepts the alert if the severity is Critical or if
the value of the Node Status field is Up.

1. Click Add new And/Or block.

2. Select Accept alert or Reject alert.

3. Select if Any to configure an OR rule, or select if All to configure an AND rule.

4. Click Add Child Rule.

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5. Configure the rule based on the severity of the alert, or an alert field value.

6. To add another child rule:

a. In the Filters pane, click the And/Or block.

b. In the Configure Complex Rule pane, click Add Child Rule.

c. Configure the rule.

TEST THE ALERT FILTERING RULES

Test your filter rules to ensure they are filtering properties correctly. Your test should include the severity
and any alert fields that you configured in the filter rule.

This example includes a test for the following filter rule.

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 1. After you have configured the filter rule, click Test.

2. Select a severity.
3. Click Add New Property, select an alert field, and enter the value.
4. Add all alert properties defined in the filter rule, and click Test.

If your rules are configured correctly, a message states that the filter rules match and the alert is accepted
in the Test Results pane. Click Done.

If your rules are not configured correctly, a message states that the filter rules did not match and the alert
is rejected in the Test Results pane. Click Back to resolve your configuration errors.

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Integrate with DameWare MRC
DameWare Mini Remote Control (MRC) is a remote administration and troubleshooting solution that
enhances your Web Help Desk deployment. With built-in integration between both applications, you can:

l Connect to remote computers directly from help desk trouble tickets and asset inventory
l Troubleshoot and resolve remote systems directly from your system
l Save a history of troubleshooting steps to the client ticket
l Establish and save chat sessions with remote users to client tickets

DameWare MRC can access and troubleshoot computers running a variety of supported operating
systems, including:

l Microsoft Windows
l Microsoft Windows Server
l Apple OSX with VNC enabled

To Integrate DameWare MRC with Web Help Desk:

1. Install DameWare MRC on all tech systems running Web Help Desk.
See your SolarWinds product integration requirements for the supported versions.
See the DameWare Mini Remote Control (Standalone) Evaluation Guide for more information.
2. Configure Web Help Desk to integrate with DameWare MRC.
3. Enable your techs to access and use DameWare MRC through Web Help Desk.

When completed, your techs can initiate MRC sessions from within a Web Help Desk Asset Details page. If
the asset is not connected to the local network included on a Saved Host list, the Remote Connect dialog
appears. From here, the tech can create an internet session or add the asset to their Saved Host list.

To maintain customer security, Web Help Desk will not allow you to access remotely any server in
your Web Help Desk system without the appropriate permissions on the DameWare Central Server.

Install DameWare MRC

When you install DameWare MRC in your help desk deployment, ensure that the application is installed on
the same systems that techs use to access Web Help Desk. Web Help Desk provides seamless integration
and direct integration with DameWare MRC with no requirement for third-party software.

See your DameWare Remote Support and MRC documentation for more information.

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Configure integration
After you install and deploy DameWare MRC on all tech systems in your deployment, log in as an
administrator and configure Web Help Desk to integrate with DameWare MRC.

1. Click Setup > Assets > Options.

2. In the Asset Options screen, select the DameWare Integration Links Enabled check box (if available).

Click the tooltip for additional information.

DameWare MRC is automatically enabled for all Techs in Web Help Desk. You can configure
more granular access settings for individual techs in their profiles.

3. Click the Default Request Type drop-down menu and select the request type used when a tech
creates a new DameWare-based ticket.

This selection determines the custom fields in the ticket, the assigned tech, and how the Ticket is
routed to a tech.
The Request Type you select should be the type most likely to result from a DameWare
troubleshooting session. For example, if you know you will be using DameWare to
troubleshoot mostly hardware issues, select Hardware as the request type. See Select a
request type for additional information.

To ensure seamless integration with DameWare, ensure that the Web Help Desk request type
used to create DameWare tickets does not include required custom fields.

4. Click Save.

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Configure tech access
After you install and configure DameWare MRC on the tech computer systems, open Web Help Desk and
configure access for each tech who needs DameWare MRC access.

1. Click Setup and select Techs > Techs.

2. In the Tech Name column, click the tech that requires DameWare MRC access.
3. In the Account Info tab, click to enter edit mode.
4. Scroll down to Asset Setup and select the Enable DameWare Links check box.

5. Click Save.
6. Repeat step 3 through step 5 for each additional tech who needs access.

Launch and close

You can launch an MRC session in Web Help Desk from a client ticket or an asset.

Each asset must have a valid IP address in Web Help Desk. If an asset does not have a valid IP address, you
will not be able to establish a DameWare session.

When you start DameWare MRC from Web Help Desk, it opens in Web Help Desk Integration mode,
allowing you to save information you collect from a remote support session in MRC to a Web Help Desk
ticket. A banner appears during the session when MRC runs in Web Help Desk Integration mode.

When you close your session, you can save the following session details to the client ticket:

l Tech notes
l Chat transcripts
l Screen shots

LAUNCH FROM A CLIENT TICKET

1. Click My Tickets to open an existing Web Help Desk ticket assigned to you.
2. Click the Asset Info tab.
3. In the Client Assets tab, click the number associated to the asset in the No. column.
4. In the Ticket Assets tab, click the DameWare MRC icon connected to the asset.
The DameWare Mini Remote Control (MRC) console displays, stating that you are running in Web
Help Desk Integration mode.
5. Troubleshoot the asset as needed.
See the DameWare Mini Remote Control Reference Manual for more information.
6. When completed, close your session.

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LAUNCH FROM AN ASSET

1. Search for the asset.
2. Locate the asset in the search results.
3. Click the DameWare integration button next to the asset number.
The DameWare Mini Remote Control console displays, stating that you are running in Web Help Desk
Integration mode.
4. Troubleshoot the asset as needed.
See the DameWare Mini Remote Control Reference Manual for details on how to use the MRC for
troubleshooting.
5. When completed, close the session.

CLOSE THE SESSION

1. Click Disconnect.
2. Log in to Web Help Desk to save the DameWare troubleshooting information.

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 3. Select the ticket and click Use selected ticket to save the session details to the Web Help Desk ticket
listed on the screen.
You must either have a ticket number or create a new ticket so the information can be saved
to Web Help Desk.
To save the session to a new ticket, click Create new ticket.

4. Enter any information you or the client may want to refer to later about the troubleshooting session.
To make this information available to clients, select Make the session details and attachments visible
to clients.

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5. Click Save details to the ticket.

The ticket updates are uploaded to the ticket.

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 6. Click OK to return to Web Help Desk.
When completed,
l The ticket updates or new ticket displays in your list of tickets.
l Chat sessions are saved in .RTF format.
l Screen shots are stored in .PNG format.
l Session details are incorporated into the note.

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Knowledge-centered support
Knowledge-centered support (KCS) is a set of practices that make information available and easily
accessible to both clients and techs. With KCS, knowledge is considered a fundamental asset of the
technical support organization. The goals of KCS include:

l Improving efficiency within support organizations

l Making customers self-sufficient
l Reducing support costs while increasing customer satisfaction

When an organization implements KCS, content creation becomes an integral part of the support process.
Each tech is responsible for contributing new content and updating or improving existing content.

When a tech receives a ticket, the tech first search the existing FAQs for a documented fix. If found, the
tech follows the instructions in the FAQ and updates them accordingly if any steps have changed. The tech
can also attach the FAQ to the ticket. If not found, the tech troubleshoots and resolves the issue, then
creates a new FAQ to document the section.

Using Web Help Desk to build your knowledge store

Within Web Help Desk, you can use FAQs to capture solutions to common problems and make that
information available. Techs can quickly create a new FAQ based on a note within a ticket, or they can
manually create an FAQ.

As you increase the amount of useful information in your system, both clients and techs will be more likely
to find the answers they need. Helping clients get answers from FAQs will reduce the number of tickets
opened. Clients are able to provide feedback by rating articles. Use article ratings to recognize and reward
useful content and to improve content that is incomplete or inaccurate.

By default, only admins can edit approved FAQs. To implement the KCS process, consider including
the Approved FAQ Edit permission in the Default tech permission set. When techs have this
permission, they can update or correct FAQs as needed.

Accessing FAQs in Web Help Desk

Web Help Desk promotes self resolution by displaying relevant FAQs to clients as they enter service
requests into the Web portal.

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In addition, clients can search the FAQs that are available to them.

An FAQ can be available to all Web Help Desk clients, or it can be limited to a specific audience (for
example, only to clients from a certain company).

Create a new FAQ

Techs can use FAQs to share information and quickly locate resolutions to common problems. In addition,
clients can search the FAQ knowledge base within Web Help Desk to locate answers to their questions.

Ensure that the tech permissions for FAQs are defined for each tech in Setup > Techs > Tech
Permissions > Other Permissions.

You can create a new FAQ manually, or you can automatically create an FAQ based on a ticket note. If your
company is implementing knowledge-centered support, use this capability to quickly expand your
knowledge base using information already captured in case notes.

Before creating a new FAQ, search the knowledge base to determine if an existing FAQ answers the
question. If so, you can link the existing FAQ to the ticket.

SET TECH PERMISSIONS FOR FAQS

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.
2. Click Setup > Techs > Tech permissions.
3. Click the tech permission name.
4. Scroll down to the Other Permissions tab.

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 5. Click FAQ Edit.

Additional options display.

6. Select FAQs "All" Category Edit to enable tech access to All and Specific FAQ categories. This allows
techs to view FAQs in the Create FAQ page for all requests.
7. Select any additional selections as required. See the tooltips for details.
8. Click Save.

ACCESS FAQS IN THE TECH USER INTERFACE

1. Log in to the tech user interface.
2. Click FAQs in the toolbar.
3. Click New FAQ in the FAQ toolbar.

The Create FAQ page displays.

If you select FAQs "All" Category Edit in Setup, the tech can access All categories in the Create FAQ page.

Category is identical to the ticket request type.

The tech can also edit an FAQ by selecting Specific and clicking the drop-down arrow to select one or more
categories for the FAQ.

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When you de-select the FAQ Edit check box, the remaining FAQ permissions are disabled in the Other
Permissions tab.

Additionally, the All and Specific categories in the tech user interface are disabled by default, and the tech
cannot change the category selection.

Techs can view FAQs assigned to All and Specific categories, but cannot edit these FAQs.

See Define tech permissions to change the category permission for each tech.

MANUALLY CREATE AN FAQ

1. In the toolbar, click FAQs.
2. In the FAQ toolbar, click New FAQ.
3. In the Create FAQ screen, select the categories for this FAQ.
Select All for all categories or Specific for selected categories.

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 4. If you selected Specific, click the Category drop-down menu and select one or more categories.
This field is populated from the ticket request types. You can add additional request types.
See Define request types for more information.

If a parent or child category is disabled, you do not have the appropriate permissions to
access the category level.

5. Enter the question and answer text for this FAQ.

Question and answer text can include HTML links and formatting, as well as Bulletin Board Code
(BBC) tags.
6. If you want to link this FAQ to a related FAQ, click . Then search for the FAQ and click Link FAQ.
7. Use the radio buttons to restrict who can view this FAQ or specify what model the FAQ applies to.
8. In the Attachments row, click Add File to add an attachment, such as a supporting document,
graphic, or spreadsheet.
9. If you have permission to approve FAQs, select the Approved check box to publish the FAQ.
Otherwise, notify an approver that the FAQ is ready for review.
FAQs can be approved by all admins and by techs with the Approve FAQs permission.

10. If you want the FAQ to expire, select an expiration date and time.
11. Click Save, and then click Done.

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CREATE AN FAQ BASED ON A TICKET NOTE

1. Open the ticket and click the Ticket Details tab.
2. In the Date column of the Notes section, click in the note's creation date and time to open the note.
3. In the note editor, click Create FAQ.

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 4. Click OK at the confirmation dialog to create the FAQ.
The following elements are automatically populated with information from the ticket:

TICKET FAQ

Request Detail Question

Note text Answer

Request Type Category

The FAQ is created, but it is not approved. Also, any attachments to the note are not attached
to the FAQ.

5. Search for the FAQ, select it, and click Edit.

6. Make the following changes as needed:
l Edit the Question and Answer text to make it appropriate for a general audience. For
example, remove people's names and company-specific information.
l Use the radio buttons to restrict who can view this FAQ or specify what model the FAQ
applies to.
l If the note included an attachment, attach that file to the FAQ.
If necessary, first download the attachment from the ticket to your computer, and then attach it
to the FAQ.
7. If you have permission to approve FAQs, select the Approved check box to publish the FAQ.
Otherwise, notify an approver that the FAQ is ready for review.
FAQs can be approved by all admins and by techs with the Approve FAQs permission.

8. If you want the FAQ to expire, select an expiration date and time.
9. Click Save, and then click Done.

Search FAQs
1. Click FAQs in the Web Help Desk toolbar.
2. Specify the search criteria at the top of the window.
A disabled category in the Category drop-down list indicates you do not have the appropriate
permissions to access the category level.

3. Click Search.
The FAQs that meet your search criteria are listed.

You can view any FAQ in the list. Techs with the appropriate permissions can edit FAQs.

l To sort the results list, click a column header.

l You can view any FAQ in the list. Techs with the appropriate permissions can edit FAQs.

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A Warning icon in a Category row indicates a category you cannot access based on your current
permissions.

Some category results may indicate that additional categories are available.

Click Show Details to view the additional categories.

View or edit an FAQ

1. To open an FAQ:
a. Search for an FAQ.
b. In the search results, double-click a row. The FAQ opens in read-only mode.
If you do not have the required permissions to view an FAQ, a message displays stating that
the FAQ is no longer available to you.
2. If you have the required permissions, you can edit the FAQ:
a. In the search results, select a row and click the Edit button.
b. Update any field. For more information see Create a new FAQ.
c. Click Save, and then click Done.
If you do not have the required permissions, a Warning icon displays next to Delete. This warning
indicates that you cannot delete the FAQ because it includes categories you cannot access or delete.

Link an FAQ to a support ticket

When an FAQ describes the resolution to an issue or provides information associated with a ticket, you can
link the FAQ to the ticket.

1. Open the ticket details page.

2. In the Notes section, click the creation date to open a new note, or click New to add a new note.
3. Click the Link FAQ button.
4. In the FAQ Search dialog box, search for the FAQ.
5. Click the Link FAQ button on the right side of the FAQ's row.
A link to the FAQ is added to the note.
6. Click Save to save the note.

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Get connected
This section contains information on accessing the SolarWinds Customer Portal and engaging with thwack,
the SolarWinds community of IT pros:

l Access the Customer Portal

l Set up additional Customer Portal user accounts
l Engage with the SolarWinds community

Access the Customer Portal

The SolarWinds Customer Portal provides access to license and maintenance information, support cases,
and product downloads, as well as live and instructor-led virtual classroom training.

CREATE YOUR USER PROFILE

To create a user profile, you must know the SolarWinds customer ID (SWID) issued to your company. If you
are a SolarWinds customer but do not have a SWID, contact SolarWinds Customer Support.

Users with multiple SWIDs require only one user profile. Your user profile can be linked to multiple
SWIDs.

1. Go to customerportal.solarwinds.com.
2. Click the Register tab.
3. Enter your organization's SWID and your email address.
If you have multiple SWIDs, enter any SWID to create your profile. Later, use the User Profile
menu to link the other SWIDs to your profile.
The account administrator will review the request, and you will receive an email when it is approved.

For more information about creating an account, see this FAQ page.

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EXPLORE THE CUSTOMER PORTAL

Manage licenses and access license keys.

Download purchased products.

Open a new support case and monitor existing cases.

Download free trials of integrated products.

Sign up for instructor-led virtual classroom training.

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Set up additional Customer Portal user accounts
If you have Account Administrator access to the SolarWinds customer portal, you can add additional user
accounts and define each user's access level and contact type.

For more information about user account types and permissions, see this FAQ page.

1. Log in to customerportal.solarwinds.com with your email address.

2. In the user account drop-down menu in the upper-right corner, click Company Account Settings.
3. Click the Add User button.
4. Enter the user's information.
5. Specify the user's access level:
l Account Administrator: Can access all areas of the Customer Portal. Can also add and remove
users, edit user profile information, and assign roles and contact types to users.
l Standard Access: Can access all areas of the Customer Portal.
l No Access: Cannot access the Customer Portal, but is listed as a contact on the account.
6. Specify the user's contact type:
l Primary Contact: Receive all account-related communications.
l Billing Contact: Receive communications relating to billing.
l Partner Contact: Receive communications related to partner support.
l Renewal Contact: Receive communications relating to maintenance renewals and product
maintenance expiration.
l Support Contact: Receive communications related to technical support.

Engage with the SolarWinds community

Use the SolarWinds thwack community website to learn more about SolarWinds products, participate in
discussions, and get help resolving issues.

CREATE A THWACK ACCOUNT

You can read content on thwack without an account. However, having an account allows you to take full
advantage of the site by submitting feature requests, liking or following posts, and contributing content.
When you create a thwack account, SolarWinds will not send you unsolicited emails or add you to
marketing lists.

1. Go to thwack.solarwinds.com.
2. Click Register in the top right.
3. Enter the required information and accept the license agreement.
4. Click Create Account.

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EXPLORE THE THWACK SITE

After you create an account, click this link to begin exploring thwack. Participating in the thwack
community earns points, which you can use to purchase items in the thwack store.

As a member of the thwack community, you can:

l Participate in community discussions and get answers to your questions.

In the product forums, you can post questions and view responses to other users' questions. Advice,
resolutions, and troubleshooting tips are provided by community members and by SolarWinds
employees.
l Extend product capabilities with custom templates, reports, and scripts.
The thwack product forums include thousands of downloadable templates, reports, and scripts you
can use to customize or extend your SolarWinds products. This content is contributed by SolarWinds
employees and by other community members.
l View product roadmaps, which list the features currently being developed for future product
releases.
l Be notified of User Experience sessions where you can share your experiences, and help make
SolarWinds products better.
l Influence the direction of a product by submitting feature requests and voting for other users'
feature requests.
l Read blogs about SolarWinds products and about general IT topics.

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Appendix
This section contains additional information for managing your Web Help Desk deployment.

Deployment considerations
When you plan your Web Help Desk deployment, consider adding additional system RAM and Java Virtual
Machine (JVM) heap memory to support the number of techs in your help desk operations. Filling up the
JVM heap memory can degrade your Web Help Desk performance.

Additionally, consider creating a high availability deployment to protect your Web Help Desk operations
from a single point of failure.

MEMORY SIZING AND JVM OPTIONS

Use an estimated number of concurrent tech sessions to determine your memory allocation and which
type of deployment best meets your needs. Use tech sessions rather than client sessions, as Tech sessions
use much more memory than client sessions.

Web Help Desk requires additional max heap memory over the Java Virtual Machine) default setting. To
improve application performance, increase the JVM memory and restart Web Help Desk.

CLEAR JVM HEAP MEMORY

Web Help Desk deployments can fill up the JVM Heap Memory, which can degrade performance. To avoid
this issue, periodically restart Web Help Desk to clear the heap memory.

See the appropriate procedure to automatically restart the operating system on your system hosting Web
Help Desk.

l Apple OSX
l Microsoft Windows
l Linux

AUTOMATICALLY RESTART APPLE OS X

To schedule Web Help Desk for a nightly restart:

1. Login to your OS as root or admin.

2. Copy the following file to your /Library/LaunchDaemons folder:
/Library/WebHelpDesk/bin/ com.macsdesign.RestartWebHelpDesk.plist
3. Execute the following command:
launchctl load com.macsdesign.RestartWebHelpDesk.plist

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4. Verify that the plist was loaded successfully by executing the following command:
launchctl list
5. To unload the LaunchDaemon, execute the following command:
launchctl unload com.macsdesign.RestartWebHelpDesk.plist

The plist file is configured to restart Web Help Desk each night at 1 AM. You can change the schedule by
editing the StartCalendarInterval property in the plist. See your Apple OS X documentation for
details.

When you schedule your nightly restart, the following conventions apply:

l The launch daemon works only with the standard Web Help Desk Tomcat deployment. WebObjects
Monitor deployments use the Monitor tool to configure automatic restarts.

l When scheduling with the Monitor, make sure to clear Is Graceful to force the instances to restart.

AUTOMATICALLY RESTART WINDOWS

Depending on your Microsoft® Windows® operating system version, these steps may vary.

1. Click Start and select Control Panel > Scheduled Tasks > Add Scheduled Task.
2. In the Scheduled Task Wizard, select any application to run.
3. Select a daily time to run the task.
4. Select Open Advanced.
5. Change the Run command to:
net stop webhelpdesk
6. Save your changes.

To create a second scheduled task to restart Web Help Desk, follow the steps above, but use the Run
command net start webhelpdesk as the final step.

Schedule the start at least one minute later than the stop command to ensure that the service
stopped before attempting to restart.

AUTOMATICALLY RESTART LINUX

Create a nightly cron job that calls the stop or start scripts as root or use sudo.

You can create the cron job using the following command:

/usr/local/webhelpdesk/whd stop /user/local webhelpdesk/ whd

HIGH AVAILABILITY DEPLOYMENTS

Create a high availability Web Help Desk by configuring a multi-instance Tomcat deployment on Linux or
Microsoft Windows.

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MONITOR DEPLOYMENTS ON APPLE OS X

Apple OS X Server 10.6 and earlier included WebObjects.

1. Install WebObjects.
2. Run the Web Help Desk installer to extract the application to /Library/WebHelpDesk.
3. Run the following script to configure Web Help Desk with WebObjects:
sudo /Library/WebHelpDesk/bin/UpdateWebObjectsConfiguration
4. In WebObjects Monitor, add a new application named Helpdesk with the following path:
/Library/WebHelpDesk/bin/webapps/helpdesk/WEB-INF/Helpdesk.woa/Helpdesk
5. In WebObjects Monitor, add a new application named HelpdeskDaemon with the following path:
/Library/WebHelpDesk/bin/webapps/helpdesk/WEB-INF/Helpdesk.woa/Helpdesk
6. In the instance configuration page for HelpdeskDaemon, add the following to the Additional
Arguments setting:
-DWHDDaemonMode=dedicated

Only one Web Help Desk instance should ever be running as a daemon.

After you start the applications in WebObjects Monitor, connect to Web Help Desk using the following URL:

http://localhost/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Helpdesk.woa

CONFIGURE MULTIPLE INSTANCE TOMCAT DEPLOYMENTS

Apache Tomcat is an open source software product that creates both a Web and application server for
your enterprise. The software provides a Web container that enables Java servlets and Run pages, which
support Java code running along with a Web server. You can run multiple-instance Tomcat deployments on
Linux installations.

Before you install Tomcat, perform the following procedures on your Linux server:

1. Download Apache Tomcat 7.0.77 from the Apache Tomcat Core 7 website.
2. Unzip the files to a directory you create on your Tomcat server running Linux.
For example: /cluster/apache-tomcat-7.0.77
This location will be referred to as template_tomcat_home_directory in this procedure.

3. In your <template_tomcat_home_directory>/bin directory, add the execution privilege to all

scripts using the following command:
chmod 744 template_tomcat_home_directory/bin/*.sh
This command does not apply for Apache Tomcat Core 8.

4. Download the Apache httpd server version for your operating system from the Apache HTTP Server
Project site.
See Compiling and Installing at the Apache HTTP Server Project Website for information about
installing HTTP Server.

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5. Install Apache httpd server using yum search and install commands.
6. Install the latest version of SolarWinds Web Help Desk for Linux from the rpm package.
The default installation directory is:
/user/local/webhelpdesk
This location will be known as <whd_home> in this procedure.
7. Start Web Help Desk.
8. Connect to the appropriate database.
9. Ensure that Web Help Desk is operating efficiently.
10. Stop Web Help Desk.

INSTALL MULTIPLE TOMCAT INSTANCES

You can create multiple Tomcat instances that point to the <tomcat_home>/webapps directory. These
Tomcat instances run as separate processes with their own long files, port numbers, and resources.

1. Copy the template_tomcat_home_directory instance to /cluster as a Tomcat1 directory.

This directory will be referred to as TOMCAT_1_HOME in this procedure.
2. Add execute privileges to all scripts in the TOMCAT_1_HOME directory.
Execute:
chmod 744 tomcat_1_home/bin/*sh
3. Remove the <TOMCAT_1_HOME>webapps directory.
Execute:
rm -rf TOMCAT_1_HOME/webapps
4. Create a webapps soft link in the <TOMCAT_1_HOME> directory pointing to <template_tomcat_
home_directory>/webapps.
Execute:
In -s template_tomcate_home_directory/webapps/ webapps
5. Update the TOMCAT_1_HOME/conf/server.xml file to avoid port conflicts.
Update the default values listed below:
<Server port="8005" shutdown="SHUTDOWN">
<Connector port="8080" protocol="HTTP/1.1" connectionTimeout="20000"
redirectPort="8443" />
<Connector port="8009" protocol="AJP/1.3" redirectPort="8443"/>
<Engine name="Catalina" defaultHost="localhost" jvmRoute="worker1">
to the following values:
<Server port="8100" shutdown="SHUTDOWN">
<Connector port="8200" protocol="HTTP/1.1" connectionTimeout="20000"
redirectPort="8443" />
<Connector port="8300" protocol="AJP/1.3" redirectPort="8443"/>
<Engine name="Catalina" defaultHost="localhost" jvmRoute="worker2">
If these ports are reserved, use another set of ports. SolarWinds recommends having a consistent port
numbering convention to avoid conflicts.

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 6. Update the TOMCAT_1_HOME logback-config.xml file so it points to a correct log directory.
Execute:
<File>TOMCAT_1_HOME/logs/whd-spring.log</File>
<fileNamePattern>TOMCAT_1_HOME/logs/whd-spring.%d{yyyy-MM-
dd}.log</fileNamePattern>
7. Update the catalina.sh script in the TOMCAT_1_HOME/bin directory to accommodate TOMCAT_
1_HOME port changes in the server.xml file and modify activemq.broker.port to avoid conflicts.
Update the script as follows:
-Djava.endorsed.dirs=TOMCAT_1_HOME/webapps/endorsed
-DWHDconfig=TOMCAT_1_HOME/webapps/.whd.properties
-Dlogback.configurationFile=TOMCAT_1_HOME/logback-config.xml
-DWHDPort=8200
-DWHDPrivateBaseUrl=http://localhost:8200
-Dactivemq.broker.port=61618
8. Edit the Apache httpd.conf file, adding a new worker.
Update the default values listed below:
<Proxy balancer://cluster>
BalancerMember http://localhost:8080 loadfactor=1 route=worker1
ProxySet lbmethod=byrequests stickysession=JSESSIONID|jsessionid|wosid
</Proxy>
to the following values:
<Proxy balancer://cluster>
BalancerMember http://localhost:8080 loadfactor=1 route=worker1
BalancerMember http://localhost:8200 loadfactor=1 route=worker2
ProxySet lbmethod=byrequests stickysession=JSESSIONID|jsessionid|wosid
</Proxy>
9. Restart the Apache httpd service and both Tomcat instances.
10. Start Web Help Desk.

CONFIGURE MULTIPLE INSTANCE TOMCAT DAEMONS

You can configure multiple instance Tomcat daemons by editing the tomcat_web_template.xml file
located at:

<WebHelpDesk>/conf

For multiple-instance Web Help Desk installations, use the following guidelines:

l Configure one instance to provide either dedicated or background daemon services. Having more
than one instance provide daemon services can result in duplicate tickets and unnecessary use of
system resources.
l Set the single daemon instance to either dedicated or background. Set the remaining instance to
none.

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l Ensure that all but one instance is running without daemon services.
For example:
WHDDaemonMode=none

CONFIGURATION OPTIONS

When you configure your daemon settings, use the following options:

l Dedicated. The Web Help Desk installation instance functions only as a daemon, and the login page
is disabled.
l Background. The Web Help Desk instance functions as a daemon, but users can also log in to it.
l None (default). The Web Help Desk instance does not execute daemon tasks.

To configure a multiple instance installation, set the memory, the Tomcat deployment descriptor, and the
WebObjects daemon mode.

You can configure only one Web Help Desk instance to run as the daemon—either in dedicated or
background mode. SolarWinds recommends running the instance in background mode so that it can be
restarted when required—on a more frequent basis than the front-end instances—without interfering
with the front-end application. For information about configuring the daemon, see the SolarWinds
knowledge base article entitled How to Implement Large Deployments with Web Help Desk.

MEMORY ALLOCATION

Allocate at least 256MB of RAM to your daemon processes. If the Web Help Desk DaemonMode parameter
is set to background, allocate an additional 256MB RAM beyond the amount allocated to other instances.
This RAM configuration will support the daemon services memory resources in addition to supporting the
application user interface.

See the following sections to set the daemons required for multiple Tomcat instances:

l Set the Tomcat daemon

l Set the Tomcat daemon memory
l Set the Web Objects daemon memory

UPGRADE WEB HELP DESK

Beginning in 12.4.0, Web Help Desk upgraded to Apache Tomcat 7.0.68 for improved security. When you
upgrade your Web Help Desk software, the upgrade procedure replaces the tomcat_web_
template.xml file with an updated file that includes the new Tomcat settings. See the Web Help Desk
Installation Guide for the latest Tomcat requirements.

Before you upgrade your Web Help Desk software, back up your current tomcat_web_template.xml file
to an external directory. When the upgrade is completed, add your personal settings to the updated file
from your backup file, and then restart Web Help Desk.

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SET THE TOMCAT DAEMON

1. Stop Web Help Desk.

2. Open the following file:
webhelpdesk\conf\tomcat_web_template.xml
3. Set the Web Help Desk Daemon Mode (near the end of the xml file) setting for the instance type
described above.
4. Save the file.
5. Restart Web Help Desk.

SET THE DAEMON MEMORY

1. Stop Web Help Desk.

2. Open the following file:
webhelpdesk\conf\whd.conf
3. Change the MAXIMUM_MEMORY setting to:
MAXIMUM_MEMORY=1024
4. Save the whd.conf file.
5. Restart Web Help Desk.

SET THE WEB OBJECTS DAEMON MODE

1. Stop Web Help Desk.

2. Open the wrapper_template.conf file located at:
\webhelpdesk\bin\wrapper\conf\wrapper_template.conf
3. Add the following parameter to the end of the # Java Additional Wrappers section:
wrapper.java.additional.14=-DWHDDaemonMode=background
4. Save the file.
5. Restart Web Help Desk.

SolarWinds recommends creating a separate WebObjects Monitor application called HelpdeskDaemon for
the daemon instance. This naming convention ensures the WebObjects adapter does not attempt direct
login requests intended for the Helpdesk instance to the daemon instance.

When completed, set the daemon instance application path to:

/Library/webhelpdesk/bin/webapps/helpdesk/WEB-INF/Helpdesk.woa/Helpdesk

Since the default daemon mode is none, setting the WHDDaemonMode argument for non-daemon
instances is not required.

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Customize tickets, notes, instructions, and emails with
BBCode
Web Help Desk supports Bulletin Board Code (BBCode)—a lightweight markup code for formatting text.
BBCode tags use keywords encapsulated with square brackets.

Using BBCode, you can:

l Highlight text in an email

l Configure a clickable link
l Highlight important information in an asset note

Web Help Desk uses its own customizable implementation of BBCode. Below is an example of BBCode you
can use in a Web page:

[size=20]Title[/size]

[img]http://www.SolarWinds.com/favicon.ico[/img]

<p>

Lorem ipsum [b]dolor sit[/b] amet, [url=http://www.webhelpdesk.com]

consectetuer adipiscing[/url] elit. *** sociis natoque [i]penatibus
et magnis[/i] dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

</p>

Below is a list using BBCode.

[list]

[*]Fusce tellus. Proin in tellus sit amet nibh dignissim sagittis.

[*]Sed convallis magna eu sem. Maecenas sollicitudin.

[/list]

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

[list=A]

[*][color=blue]FAQ link:[/color] [faq id=1]

[*][u]FAQ link:[/u] <faq id=2>

[/list]

This text—a mixture of BBCode and HTML—appears in the following format:

Web Help Desk stores transformation rules for tags in the following location:

WebHelpDesk/bin/webapps/helpdesk/WEB-INF/Helpdesk.woa/Contents/Resources/bb_
config.xml

The following sections provide addition information about working with BBCode to format custom
information in Web Help Desk:

l Applying basic formatting

l Creating your own tags
l Adding clickable links

APPLY BASIC FORMATTING

Basic markup follows a simple structure:

l Simple tags: [tag]something[/tag]

l Simple parameterized tags: [tag=value]something[/tag]
l Complex parameterized tags: [tag value1="xxx" value2="yyy"]something[/tag]

The following table lists the tags supported by Web Help Desk:

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 TAG DESCRIPTION
[code]your code here[/code] Embeds your code.

[quote]Text[/quote] Adds a quote to your text.

[quote=Author]Text[/quote] Adds a quote from a specific author.

[b]bold[/b] Formats the text in bold.

[i]italics[/i] Formats the text in italics.

[u]underscored[/u] Underlines the text.

[list][*]First item [*]Second Creates a list using your defined symbols.

item[/list]
[img]URL[/img] Adds a hypertext link to an image.

[email]address[/email] Adds a link to an email address.

[email=address]Text[/email] Adds a predefined email address.

[color=name]Text[/color] Adds HTML color names.

[size=number of pixels]Text Defines the text size by specific number of pixels.

[/size]
[google]key words[/google] Adds Google keywords.

[google=key words]Text[/google] Adds predefined Google keywords.

[faq id=number] Provides a link to an existing FAQ.

You can also use the following HTML tags with BBCode tags:

l <li>
l <ul>
l <ol>
l <font>
l <br />
l <p>
l <pre>
l <center>
l <faq>
l <hr>
l <strong>

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

You can implement BBCode in many areas, such as ticket subjects, request details, notes, and custom field
descriptions.

Most ticket fields support BBCode, but some fields (such as secondary email fields in your account
details) do not support these fields. Be sure to test the code prior to implementation.

CREATE YOUR OWN TAGS

You can create your own tags in the bb_config.xml file. For example, to use strike-through text, add the
following custom tag definition to bb_config.xml:

<!-- S -->

<match name="s">

<regex>(?s)(?i)\[s\](.*?)\[/s\]</regex>

<replace>

<![CDATA[

<strike>$1</strike>

]] >

</replace>

</match>

To apply the formatting, save your changes and restart Web Help Desk.

ADD CLICKABLE LINKS

BBCode can detect HTTP and FTP links, emails, and universal naming control (UNC) paths, transforming
them into clickable links. If you add a clickable link to a YouTube or Vimeo video, Web Help Desk can
embed and display the video instead of the link.

You can also disable clickable links as well. In the bb_config.xml file, you can disable embedding video
instead of displaying a link by locating all rules with a name starting with auto-youtube (or auto-vimeo) and
commenting them out with the following comment tag:

<!-- and -->

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When completed, save your changes and restart Web Help Desk to see the link instead of the video.

Below is an example of a clickable link using BBCode.

When you are working on an incident or writing an FAQ, you can refer to other tickets, referencing a
specific ticket or terms like request, case, or problem. To transform these references into clickable links
that open the referenced tickets, create a rule.

To create a rule linking to other tickets, add the following syntax to the bb_config.xml file:

<match name="TicketLink" alwaysProcess="true">

<regex>(?s)(?i)((?:ticket|incident|case|problem|request)
\s*)([0-9]+)</regex>

<replace>

<![CDATA[

<a href="http://webhelpdesk.com:8081/

helpdesk/WebObjects/Helpdesk.woa/wa/TicketActionsview?ticke
t=$2">$1$2</a>

]]>

</replace>

</match>

Be sure to replace the URL with the link to your system.

Entering case 22 automatically creates a link to case 22, as shown below.

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

Customize your server settings

The whd.conf server configuration file defines your server options, such as the http and https port, Java
Virtual Machine memory, and server IP address. This file is located at:

webhelpdesk/conf/whd.conf

When you upgrade Web Help Desk, the upgrade procedure only replaces the whd.conf.orig file located
in the same directory. Use this file as a reference for new options available in the upgraded version. You
can copy options into the existing whd.conf file or replace the whd.conf file with the whd.conf.orig
file and edit the file as needed.

If you update the file, restart Web Help Desk for changes to take effect. On Web Help Desk systems running
Microsoft Windows Server, restart your system using the Start menu option. Restarting Windows Services
will not apply your configuration changes.

The following sections explain how to customize and use the default settings in the whd.conf file.

l Help desk ports

l Privileged networks
l Keystore settings (for SSL connections)
l Memory allocation
l IP address
l Database connections
l Java command line options

HELP DESK PORTS

Web Help Desk provides communication ports for the following resources:

l Web Help Desk Interfaces

l Databases

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 l Emails
l LDAP/AD
l Asset Discovery

WEB HELP DESK INTERFACES

The following table lists the Web Help Desk ports for secure and non-secure interface traffic.

PORT TYPE DESCRIPTION

80 TCP Non-secure traffic from the Web Help Desk Console (VA)

443 TCP Secure traffic from the Web Help Desk Console

8081 TCP Non-secure traffic from the Web Help Desk Console (Windows, Linux
and OSX)

8443 TCP (Default) Secure traffic from the Web Help Desk Administrator
Console (Windows, Linux and OS X)

61616 TCP Web Help Desk Discovery engine (JMS queue port)

DATABASES
The following table lists the Web Help Desk ports for external and embedded database communications.

PORT TYPE DESCRIPTION

1433 TCP Microsoft SQL external database

Lansweeper

Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) / System Center

Configuration Manager (SCCM),

Network Configuration Manager (NCM)

Network Performance Monitor (NCM)

Server and Application Monitor (SAM)

3306 TCP External MySQL database

5432 TCP External PostgreSQL database

20293 TCP Embedded PostgreSQL database

EMAILS
The following table lists the Web Help Desk ports for email traffic.

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

PORT TYPE DESCRIPTION

25 TCP Traffic from the Web Help Desk server to your email server for
automated email notifications

80 TCP Non-secure connection to EWS

110 TCP Non-secure POP3

143 TCP Non-secure IMAP

443 TCP Secure connection to EWS

993 TCP Secure IMAP

995 TCP Secure POP3

LDAP AND ACTIVE DIRECTORY

The following table lists the Web Help Desk ports for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol / Active
Directory (LDAP / AD).

PORT TYPE DESCRIPTION

389 TCP Traffic from the Web Help Desk server to a designated server (usually
a domain controller) for use with the Directory Service tool (LDAP, AD)

636 TCP Secure traffic from the Web Help Desk server to designated server
(usually a domain controller) for use with the Directory Service tool
(LDAP, AD)

ASSET DISCOVERY
The following table lists the Web Help Desk ports for Asset Recovery.

PORT TYPE DESCRIPTION

135 TCP Asset Discovery via WMI (WMI calls uses port 135 and then chooses a
random port for further communication)

1521 TCP Oracle JDBC for Asset Discovery

3306 TCP MySQL external database, LANrev, Casper 8 and lower

4445 TCP Remote log server reader

5433 TCP Asset Discovery for Apple Remote 3.2

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 PORT TYPE DESCRIPTION

7100 TCP Asset Discovery for Sybase

CONFIGURE FIREWALLS FOR DATA TRAFFIC

Firewalls between any two points of communication must have the requisite ports open to inbound or
outbound traffic according to the relative direction of the communication traffic.

For additional port information, see:

l Unsecured and secured ports for login

l No redirect to HTTPS
l URL ports (optional)
l Tomcat server port
l Mail notification port
l Java home location
l IP address

UNSECURED AND SECURED PORTS FOR LOGIN

Web Help Desk uses the following unsecured and secure ports for login:

DEFAULT_PORT=8081HTTPS_PORT=443

The Apache Tomcat application server that hosts Web Help Desk is configured to use non-secure http on
port 8081 by default. To run on a different http port, change the DEFAULT_PORT value. Be sure that the
newly-selected port is available, or Web Help Desk will not be able to start.

To run the application over https, uncomment the HTTPS_PORT option. To use the standard https port
(443), the port must be available or Web Help Desk will be unable to start. When the application
successfully starts up on the configured https port, it automatically generates a self-signed certificate at:

webhelpdesk/conf/keystore.jks

NO REDIRECT TO HTTPS
NO_REDIRECT=true

When both the DEFAULT_PORT and HTTPS_PORT are enabled, the default behavior is to automatically
redirect all http requests to https. If this is not the desired behavior, uncomment the NO_REDIRECT=true
option.

URL PORTS (OPTIONAL)

URL_DEFAULT_PORT=8081 URL_HTTPS_PORT=443

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In some deployments, Web Help Desk needs to use a port other than the Tomcat port in URLs it generates
for external links.

For example, a Tomcat web server can be configured to route requests for the default port (80) to go to the
default Web Help Desk port (8081) using a proxy pass. In this case, Web Help Desk should generate URLs
with port 80, rather than port 8081. Port 8081 could be configured behind a firewall and be unreachable
from other systems.

TOMCAT SERVER PORT

TOMCAT_SERVER_PORT=23010

The port that Tomcat monitors for start/stop commands. If you are running multiple Tomcat instances,
each instance on the same machine must use a different port.

MAIL NOTIFICATION PORT

#MAIL_NOTIFICATION_PORT=79

Using the command finger nm_notifyuser to send the text finger nm_notifyuser to the MAIL_
NOTIFICATION_PORT triggers the email daemon to check for new mail. Deploying this command also
stops automatic email account polling.

The default notification port is 79. To disable the mail notification listener, comment out this setting or set
it to -1.

For more information on this port setting, see Request for Comments (RFC) 4146 on the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) website at www.ietf.org.

JAVA HOME LOCATION

JAVA_HOME=<homedirectory>

All Web Help Desk installers include a Java JVM as part of the installation package, so a separate Java install
is not required. While not recommended, it is still possible to use a different JVM by providing the path to
the JRE in this setting. On Windows, the path would be:

JAVA_HOME=C:\Progra~1\Java\jre8

IP ADDRESS
IP_ADDRESS=

By default, Tomcat listens on the configured DEFAULT_PORT and HTTPS_PORT for all IP addresses
assigned to the machine. To limit Tomcat to a specific port, use this setting.

PRIVILEGED NETWORKS
Privileged networks are networks that allow database updates.

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In the whd.conf server configuration file, the PRIVILEGED_NETWORKS= setting identifies networks that
allow database updates. If the database requires an update, browser connections from hosts not
belonging to these privileged networks receive a message indicating an update is in progress.

Use the PRIVILEGED_NETWORKS= setting when installing headless servers.

You can customize the browser message by editing login.msg.applicationUpdateInProgress in

the custom labels file.

To remove the info popup icon on this page, use an empty entry for:

login.msg.applicationUpdateInProgressHelp

The localhost (127.0.0.1) is always permitted to update. However, a Windows server with multiple IP
addresses may not respond to the localhost address. In this example, the IP_ADDRESS option must be set
to one of the server IPs, and the PRIVILEGED_NETWORK should also use that same IP.

KEYSTORE SETTINGS (FOR SSL CONNECTIONS)

The keystore settings contain the password Web Help Desk should use to access the Java keystore. The Java
keystore comprises the certificate used for SSL connections. Both the Java keystore and the certificate
inside it (aliased by the name tomcat) must use this password.

The following table lists the keystore settings.

SETTING DESCRIPTION
KEYSTORE_PASSWORD=changeit If you are using SSL, ensure that the password matches the
password set when you created the new tomcat keypair.

See Importing an SSL Certificate for more information.

KEYSTORE_FILE= The default keystore file is:

webhelpdesk/conf/keystore.jks

KEYSTORE_TYPE=JKS The keystore type can be JKS (default) or PKCS12.

MEMORY ALLOCATION
Most Web Help Desk systems perform well on 3.0 GHz systems with 3GB RAM. However, when you create a
large number of techs, consider the hardware used and the system configuration. SolarWinds
recommends adding 1GB of memory to the Web Help Desk server for every 10 additional techs.

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

If you plan to integrate Web Help Desk with SolarWinds Orion, ensure your Orion server is running
SolarWinds Orion Core 2012.2 or higher. Web Help Desk requires this version of Orion Core so it can
automatically integrate SolarWinds alerts. For SolarWinds NPM upgrade and licensing instructions, see
Installing SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor in the SolarWinds Orion Network Performance
Monitor Administrator Guide.

DATABASE CONNECTIONS
DATABASE_CONNECTIONS=10

The maximum number of connections made between the Web Help Desk application and the configured
database. Larger installations may want to increase this value. One connection for every five simultaneous
users is a conservative ratio.

JAVA COMMAND LINE OPTIONS

JAVA_OPTS=""

Use this property to override the default options for several Web Help Desk settings. Place the entire set of
arguments between the pair of quotes, and follow the format:

JAVA_OPTS="-Darg1=true -Darg2=true

This property is only effective on Mac OS X and Linux servers. For Windows servers, additional JVM
arguments must be specified in the Java Additional Parameters section of the wrapper_template.conf
file located at <webhelpdesk>\bin\wrapper\conf\wrapper_template.conf.

The following table provides a list of the available command-line options.

OPTION DESCRIPTION
-DWHDEmailCheckInterval=60 Sets the number of seconds between each
email check.

-DWHDLdapPasswordCacheHours=168 Sets the number of hours LDAP passwords are

cached in the Web Help Desk database.

Enter 0 to disable caching.

-DWHDDashboardEnabled=true Enables the Tickets Dashboard option in the

user interface.

Set to false to remove the Tickets >

Dashboard tab for all users.

-DWHDsql=false Enables SQL debug logging to the

helpdesk.log file.

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 OPTION DESCRIPTION

Set to true to enable SQL debug logging to

helpdesk.log

-DWHDDaemonMode=background Describes how the targeted daemon will run

in this instance.

Set to background to run a daemon as a

background process.

JVM ARGUMENTS
JVM arguments are flags that are passed to the Java Virtual Machine at the time the application is
launched. On Linux or Mac machines, they can be provided through the JAVA_OPTS setting in the
whd.conf file. Configure Windows machines located at:

whd_home>/bin/wrapper/conf/wrapper_template.conf

For example, on a Linux or Mac installation, you could disable concurrent request handling and set the
Casper requestor thread count to 6 by setting JAVA_OPTS in the whd.conf file as follows:

JAVA_OPTS=“-DWHDconcurrentRequests=false -DCasper9RequestorThreadCount=6"

The syntax for Windows machines (in wrapper_template.con) is slightly different:

wrapper.java.additional.12=-DWHDconcurrentRequests=false

wrapper.java.additional.13=-DCasper9RequestorThreadCount=6

The number to use for each line depends on your particular configuration. Additionally, if you are
adding arguments, you must use -D<argument>.

ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

activemq.broker.port <port> 61616 Defines port used by ActiveMQ. Needs to be unique

per instance if you plan to run multiple Web Help Desk
instances on a single machine.

Casper9RequestorThreadCount integer 4 Provides number of threads sending REST requests to

the JSS server during asset synchronization using
Casper 9 plug-in.

WHDlog4jConfigOverride true | false If true, defines Web Help Desk does not use the
false database settings configured at Setup > General >
Logs to override the standard configuration of log4j.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDmax_clients <intege No longer used. Previously was used to set a limit on

r> how many clients hosted customers could create.

whd.smtp.host <host> Defines the default SMTP server host to use when
running in hosted mode.

whd.smtp.port <port> Defines the default SMTP server port to use when
running in hosted mode.

whd.stdDeploy true | false Indicates that Web Help Desk is running in a standard
false deployment. Standard deployment is the default
configuration the Web Help Desk installer provides,
with an embedded Tomcat deployment at <whd_
home>/bin/tomcat/, the Web Help Desk application at
<whd_home>/bin/webapps/, and the configuration
files at <whd_home>/conf/. The Web Help Desk start
script automatically supplies this parameter.

org.apache.tomcat.util. true | false Is an essential argument for the Spring servlet. It

http.ServerCookie.ALLOW_ false allows special characters from whduser_helpdesk
HTTP_SEPARATORS_IN_V0 cookie to be parsed. The argument is set to true for all
standard deployments where the parameter is
provided automatically by the Web Help Desk start
script or wrapper_template.conf. The same argument
should also be applied also for non-standard
deployments.

WHDconnections <coun 10 Provides the number of allowed simultaneous

t> connections to the database. The actual number used
can be twice this value, and even a few more when
certain background processes are running.

WHDconcurrentRequests true | true Indicates whether Web Help Desk should process
false requests sequentially or simultaneously (in separate
threads). There is a known risk of deadlock when
concurrent requests are enabled and multiple browser
windows are open for a given session. However,
disabling concurrent requests can result in degraded
performance when a request is slow to respond – such
as a request to generate a computation-intensive
report.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDhosted true | false (Hosted) Determines whether Web Help Desk should
false run in hosted mode. When running in hosted mode,
the Web Help Desk hosted password must also be
provided. Hosted mode requires an account ID to be
included in the login URL, and disables certain features
(e.g., database and log settings).

Only customers who are authorized

hosting providers have access to Web
Help Desk hosted features.

WHDhostedStandalone true | false (Hosted) Determines whether Web Help Desk should
false run in hosted standalone mode. When running in
hosted standalone mode, certain features are disabled
(e.g., database and log settings). Unlike regular hosted
mode, only one account is serviced, and the login URL
does not need to include an account ID. Web Help
Desk uses this mode is used when the installation with
its own database is hosted.

WHDhostedAlertsFeed <url> (Hosted) Optional URL to an RSS feed used to generate

Messages in hosted accounts.

WHDhostedSubscriberRange x..y | (Hosted) Provides range of subscriber accounts to be

x.. serviced by this hosted instance. If y is omitted, it
defaults to 1000000. Used only when running in
hosted mode as a daemon, to enable distribution of
the hosted daemon load across multiple daemon
instances.

WHDhostName <host> webhelpdesk.co (Hosted) Identifies host to use in URLs back to Web
m Help Desk.

WHDsecureHostName <host> secure.webhelp (Hosted) Identifies host to use in HTTPS URLs back to
desk.com Web Help Desk.

WHDdemo true | false Determines whether Web Help Desk should run in
false demo mode. Running in demo mode, disables certain
features such as database and log settings and the
ability to save Setup menu changes. Also replaces
occurrences of DemoSandbox.woa in URLs with the
name of the application as defined in WebObjects
Monitor (plus .woa).

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDliveDemo true | false Determines whether Web Help Desk should run in live
false demo mode. Allows some functionality that regular
demo mode does not, such as changing the look and
feel.

WHDsupport true | false Defines whether Web Help Desk should run as the
false Web Help Desk support application. When running as
the Web Help Desk support application, clients must
provide a license key with an unexpired support license
in order to submit a ticket, and the parameters of their
support license are displayed in the Tech view of their
tickets.

TEST true | false Determines whether Web Help Desk should run in
false TEST mode. Test mode enables certain features that
are helpful during development, e.g., the ability to run
individual daemons manually, by clicking links at the
footer of each web page; the ability to preview e-mails
in the browser when editing a ticket; and the ability to
edit help popups by clicking on labels. Test mode also
provides some protections like disabling e-mail from
being sent to clients that are created when bulk-
synchronizing with an LDAP connection.

WHDsql true | false Enables logging of each SQL statement.

false

WHDtimeouts true | false Designates whether LDAP and asset discovery

false connections timeout when an error occurs while
attempting to establish a connection. Timeout
duration is six daemon intervals.

WHDFingerPort <port> 79 Prescribes the port on which Web Help Desk listens for
|- finger protocol requests, which indicate that it should
1=disa begin an EmailDaemon cycle to get new e-mail.
bled

WHDIgnoreClientPassword true | false Allows users to log in without providing a valid

false password. We probably don't want to document this
feature for public consumption.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDActivityMonitorMaxInactivi <secon 5* (Hosted) Number of seconds of detected daemon

ty ds> WHDDaemonIn inactivity before daemon processes are automatically
terval terminated. As of version 12.0.1 this feature is not
currently supported, due to changes in daemon
threading model.

WHDPrivilegedNetworks <list> localhost Provides Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR)-

formatted, comma-separated list of addresses or
networks that determines which browsers have
permission to do one of the following:

l Configure the database connection settings.

l Begin the database schema update process.
l Replace an invalid license key after a version
update.

WHDPort <port> 80 if hosted Prescribes the port to use in URLs that refer back to
Web Help Desk. If -1 is given, the port is taken from
PREFERENCE.HOST_PORT. If hosted, 80 is used
regardless of this setting.

WHDSecurePort <port> 443 Defines the port to use for HTTPS URLs that refer back
to Web Help Desk. If a standard Tomcat deployment
(see whd.stdDeploy), -1 will be read as 443. If not a
standard Tomcat deployment, the port is taken from
PREFERENCE.HOST_PORT_SSL. If hosted, 443 is used
regardless of this setting.

WHDLabelsFolder <path> <whd_home> (Hosted/Dev) Path to labels folder. Regardless of this

/conf/labels setting, if a standard Tomcat deployment (see
/Helpdesk.wo whd.stdDeploy), <whd_home>/conf/labels will be
a/.. searched first, and then
Helpdesk.woa/Contents/Resources/labels. Otherwise,
the default path will be the folder above
Helpdesk.woa.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDReportPlugInDir <path> /Helpdesk.wo Determines path to the report plugins directory or

a/.. directories. The default path is in the ReportPlugIns
/ReportPlugIns directory above Helpdesk.woa. Multiple directories
may be specified by separating them with the path
separator character (':'). If the path string begins with a
plus sign ('+'), the provided paths will be included in
addition to the default path.

During development, the path may point to a classes

folder containing the unarchived contents of a plugin.
Also during development, changes to plugins are
automatically reloaded. (If development mode isn't
detected automatically, it can be forced with the JVM
argument
er.extensions.ERXApplication.developmentMode=tru
e.)

WHDDiscoveryPlugInDir <path> /Helpdesk.wo Defines path to the discovery plugins directory. The
a/.. default path is the DiscoveryPlugIns directory above
/DiscoveryPlugI Helpdesk.woa. (See additional notes for
ns WHDReportPlugInDir.)

WHDDashboardPlugInDir <path> /Helpdesk.wo Provides path to the dashboard widget plugins

a/.. directory. The default path is the DashboardPlugIns
/DashboardPlu directory above Helpdesk.woa. (See additional notes
gIns for WHDReportPlugInDir.)

WHDApnDevMode true | false Identifies whether the development-mode Apple Push

false Notifications certificate should be used. When WHD
Mobile is in development, the dev-mode certificate
must be used. When it is downloaded from the App
Store, the production certificate must be used
(default).

WHDEnableSQLTool true | false Prescribes whether the endpoint for querying the
false database is active. If true, an SQL query tool can be
accessed at
http://localhost:8081/helpdesk/WebObjects/Helpdesk
.woa/wa/DBActions/sqlTool

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDInitSchemaOnly true | false If true, then when initializing the database, the
false application stops after creating the schema, before
populating the database. This makes it possible to
create the empty database schema, which can be
possible when migrating data from another database
type.

WHDDisableImapPartialFetch true | false Sets the mail.imap.partialfetch property for IMAP

false connections to false, which can be necessary for some
mail servers that fail to return attachment data
properly.

WHDLdapPasswordCacheHours <hour 168 (1 week) Provides default number of hours for LDAP
s> Connection password caching. Can be overridden in
the settings for individual LDAP Connections.

WHDSkipForeignKeyCheck true | false Defines whether the schema update process should
false check and repair foreign-key constraints.

WHDSkipPrimaryKeyCheck true | false Prescribes whether the schema update process should
false check and repair primary-key constraints.

WHDDisableSessionHeartbeat true | false Determines whether the application should attempt to

false detect whether a ticket edit session has been
abandoned by leaving the page. When enabled, the
ticket editor sends "pulse" requests to
Helpdesk.woa/wa/processHeartbeat according to the
interval specified by WHDSecondsBetweenHeartbeat.
Each heartbeat request includes the ticket ID, the
ticket editing session ID (a PK into the ACTIVE_SESSION
table, not to be confused with the application session
ID itself), and a count that is incremented for each
heartbeat, starting over at 0 whenever the editing page
is refreshed. When the heartbeat request is processed,
an ACTIVE_SESSION record indexed by the ticket ID
and the editing session ID is updated with the current
time.

When the amount of time specified by

WHDHeartbeatTimeoutSeconds has passed without
receiving a heartbeat, the ticket editing session is
considered to have been abandoned, and editing locks
for the ticket are cleared.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

When the heartbeat count reaches

WHDHeartbeatWarningCount, a warning message is
logged. If the heartbeat count reaches
WHDMaxHeartbeatCount, the ticket editor stops
sending heartbeats, and the application stops
updating the ACTIVE_SESSION table when the tickets
are processed.

WHDSecondsBetweenHeartbeat <secon 55 Defines the interval at which the ticket editor sends
ds> heartbeat requests to
Helpdesk.woa/wa/processHeartbeat. (See
WHDDisableSessionHeartbeat.)

WHDHeartbeatTimeoutSeconds <secon 120 Identifies the amount of time without receiving a

ds> heartbeat until a ticket editing session is considered to
have been abandoned.

WHDHeartbeatWarningCount <intege 30 Prescribes the number of ticket editor heartbeats until

r> a warning message is logged. (Used for
troubleshooting.)

WHDMaxHeartbeatCount <intege 10000 Defines the maximum number of heartbeats that

r> should be sent from a given ticket editing session.

WHDSessionCookies true | true Deprecated. Whether the session ID should be stored

false as a cookie (true) or as a string in application URLs.
Using URL session IDs is no longer supported and
behavior if this option is disabled is uncertain.

WHDDatabaseUpdatePassword <passw <none> If a password is provided, the database update process

ord> may be initiated by sending a GET request to
Helpdesk.woa/wa/DBActions/performDatabaseUpdat
e?password=<password>. When a database update
has been initiated through this method, subsequent
requests to this URL return progress statistics.

WHDExchangeKeystorePath <path> Deprecated. Path to the keystore to be used for the

EWSJ library for Exchange connections. This is no
longer necessary because EwsSessionProxy.java has
been modified to trust all Exchange connections
without requiring them to be stored in this keystore.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDDashboardEnabled true | true Deprecated. Whether or not the Dashboard page

false should be enabled. Use WHDMaxDashboardWidgets
instead.

WHDMaxDashboardWidgets <intege -1 Maximum number of widgets that a given tech may

r> configure on her dashboard. -1 = unlimited, 0 =
disabled.

WHDReportingAppName <application (Hosted) If provided, the given application name is

name> used instead of the current application name when
generating bookmark-able links to specific reports.
This was provided so that Macquarie University could
have an instance with a large amount of memory
dedicated for running reports, and have the
bookmark-able URLs from the non-reporting instances
point to the reporting instance.

WHDBcryptRounds <intege 10 Provides how many rounds of encryption to use when

r> creating Bcrypt digests. (Eventually, password digests
may be generated using the more secure Bcrypt
algorithm instead of MD5, but for now, Bcrypt is used
only to generate the version number hash in
AppProperties_Generated.java. We can switch to
Bcrypt for passwords as soon as we upgrade the
Mobile app to no longer send passwords as MD5
digests. All that is required to make the switch in the
application is to change the order in which digest
providers are configured in MDSDigestString.java.)

WHDEstimatedActiveCustomFiel <intege 2000 Identifies estimated number of custom fields of any

ds r> entity type that are likely to be active. ("Active" custom
fields are those that are not empty are not marked as
deleted.) Used as a heuristic for optimizing the
removal of inactive custom fields from the database,
which is performed each time the application starts up
in order to optimize the performance of custom field
handling.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDUpdateSqlLog <path> If provided, SQL generated for updating the database

schema is written to the specified file instead of being
committed to the database. Useful for generating an
update script that can be applied to the database
manually.

WHDAllowAbsoluteManageSQLi true | false If true, the Discovery Connection panel for Absolute
teDatabase false Manage allows the user to select the Absolute Manage
SQLite database instead of the MySQL database.
Disabled by default because Absolute Manage says the
SQLite database is subject to change and isn't a
supported means of accessing discovered data.

WHDWebObjectsMonitorDeplo true | false If true, the application acts as if deployed from

yment false WebObjects Monitor regardless of whether this is the
detected deployment environment. (When running in
WebObjects Monitor, the application does not redirect
to the whd-web application, which runs only as a
servlet, and therefore certain functionality, such as
Orion Integration, is disabled.)

WHDFrontbaseOptimisticLockin true | false Deprecated. FrontBase is no longer supported.

g false Indicates whether FrontBase optimistic locking should
be specified in the JDBC connection URL.

WHDDisableSnapshotRefCounti true | false If true, EOF snapshot-reference counting is disabled.

ng false This can prevent errors about EOF snapshots, but it
means that all records fetched from the database are
retained in memory. This is provided for
troubleshooting. It is unlikely to be a viable option for
production deployments because it is likely to require
too much memory.

WHDEnableOutgoingMailHistor true | true Determines whether history should be maintained for

y false email that is sent. Outgoing e-mail history can be
viewed at Setup > E-Mail > Outgoing Mail Accounts > E-
Mail History. History entries include binary copies of
the actual e-mail message, which can result in large
amounts of database usage over time. The E-Mail
History tab provides an option to clear the history.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDEnableAppleConnect true | false If true, "AppleConnect" is provided as an additional

false SSO authentication mechanism at Setup > General >
Authentication. This option is intentionally
undocumented and is intended only for internal
deployments at Apple.

WHDEnableScripts true | false If true, the application looks in the scripts folder for
false the existence of JavaScript files with predefined names
that corresponding to certain callback actions.
Currently, only LoginCallback.js,
NewTicketUrlCallback.js, and
AppleConnectAuthCallback.js (if AppleConnect is
enabled) are supported.

WHDDisableScriptCache true | false Whether scripts should be cached or reloaded

false whenever referenced. Should be true only when
testing/troubleshooting.

WHDScriptLogLevel "TRAC "ERROR" Defines the level of detail at which script execution
E" | should be logged.
"DEBU
G" |
"INFO"
|

"WAR
N" |
"ERRO
R"

WHDScriptFolder <path> <whd_home> Folder in which to look for scripts.

/conf/scripts

WHDScriptLogFolder <path> <whd_ Folder in which script log will be written. Script log is
home>/log named "scripts.log," rolled over up to 5 times in 15MB
/ files.
Helpdesk.woa/..

WHDDisableExternalAuth true | false If true, SSO is disabled regardless of selection at Setup

false > General > Authentication > Authentication Method.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDUseAppNameForLoginUrl true | true (Hosted) If true, the URL used when generating URLs
false that refer back to WHD will use the application name
(e.g., "HostedHelpdesk") rather than simply using the
value stored in PREFERENCE.SAVED_LOGIN_URL.
Setting this to false allows instances that are specially
configured for things like reporting (e.g.,
"OneHelpReporting") to use the application name
specified for general instances (e.g., "OneHelp") when
constructing links back to WHD in reports, etc.

WHDWebUrl <url> /whd-web Base URL to the whd-web application. Specifying a full
URL could be useful during development in order to
redirect to a different port than the one on which the
WebObjects application is being served while
debugging.

WHDPrivateBaseUrl <url> Provides the URL to use for backend communication

between helpdesk and whd-web applications. This is
constructed automatically by the WHD start scripts.
Typically configured as "http://localhost:<port>" or
"https://localhost:<secure_port>," where <port> and
<secure_port> are the WHD HTTP ports configured in
whd.conf.

WHDDisableGSW true | false If true, then when database connection issues are
false detected, the old database connection configuration
panel will be presented instead of redirecting to the
new Getting Started Wizard. (Can be useful during
development.)

WHDhostedDbHost Deprecated. No longer used. Use whd.db.host

instead.

WHDhostedDbName Deprecated. No longer used. Use whd.db.name

instead.

WHDhostedDbUserName Deprecated. No longer used. Use whd.db.username

instead.

WHDhostedDbPassword Deprecated. No longer used. Use whd.db.password

instead.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

(All properties in <whd_home> / Any of the database-connection properties recorded in

conf /.whd.properties>) <whd_home>/conf/.whd.properties can be specified
as JVM arguments. This can be useful to ensure that
the application uses the correct parameters in the
event that there is a failure reading the
.whd.properties file.

WHDEnterpriseObjectCreationTr true | false If enabled, MDSGenericRecord records stack traces of

acing false where objects are created, which can be used when an
IllegalStateException occurs in
MDSGenericRecord.willRead() -- which happens when
an attempt is made to access an EO after its editing
context has been disposed.

WHDEditingContextDebugging true | false If enabled, MDSEditingContext.newEditingContext()

false returns instances of MDSEditingContext instead of
ERXEC, which record the name of the editing context
as well as the editing context itself, so that the object's
EC can be more easily identified in logging output.
MDSEditingContext also records a stack trace when
the editing context is disposed so that it can be logged
in MDSGenericRecord.willRead() when an attempt is
made to read properties of an object belonging to an
editing context that has been disposed.

WHDHideTickets true | false If true, the Tickets menu option is hidden from client
false and tech views. (For customers who want to use the
application for Assets and FAQs only.)

WHDRequireHttpApiKey true | false If true, the Helpdesk.woa/wa/createTicket direct action

false requires an apiKey to be provided in the request.

WHDShowLinkLabels true | false If true, the Setup menu displays label keys instead of
false labels, to aid in determining labels to use for
generating deep links to specific setup menu options.

WHDUseOriginalCookieParser true | false If true, then the original WebObjects class for parsing
false cookies will be used instead of the custom class
provided by WHD that corrects for cookies that fail to
follow the standard cookie syntax by including
unencoded commas.

WHDEmailCheckInterval <secon 60 Deprecated. Use

ds> (min 15) "WHDDaemonInterval.EmailDaemon" instead.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDCleanupInterval <secon 3600 Deprecated. Use

ds> (min 3600) "WHDDaemonInterval.CleanupDaemon" instead.

WHDMessageCloserInterval <secon 300 Deprecated. Use

ds> (min 300) "WHDDaemonInterval.MessageCloserDaemon"
instead.

WHDDaemonMode backgr none Specifies the way in which daemon processes will be
ound | run in this instance. A given daemon should never be
dedicat started in more than one instance. See WHDDaemons
ed | for running only certain daemon processes on a given
none instance.

background: Daemons will run as background

processes.
dedicated: Application will ONLY run background
processes; users will not be able to log in to this
instance.
none: Daemons will not be run in this instance.

WHDDaemons [-]<list> All daemons Provides comma-separated list of daemons to start, if

enabled WHDDaemonMode is background or dedicated. If list
is preceded by a minus sign, all daemons EXCEPT those
in the list will be started.

WHDDaemonInterval <secon 300 / 600 Defines the default daemon interval in seconds.
ds> (min 60) Default is 300 seconds (5 mins) for standard
deployments, 600 seconds (10 mins) for hosted
deployments. Most daemons have a minimum interval
of 60 seconds. (DelayedActionDaemon has a 20s
default and 15s minimum; MessageCloserDaemon has
a default and minimum interval of 5 mins;
CleanupDaemon has a default and minimum interval
of 1 hr; and EmailDaemon has a default interval of 60s
and a minimum of 15s.)

WHDDaemonInterval.EmailDae <secon 60 Designates the interval (in seconds) between checks

mon ds> (min 15) for incoming ticket e-mail. Default is 60 seconds.
Minimum is 15 seconds.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDDaemonInterval.LdapSync <secon 300 / 600 Defines the interval (in seconds) between checks for
Daemon ds> (min 60) whether an LDAP sync is needed. Default is 300
seconds (5 mins) for standard deployments, 600
seconds (10 mins) for hosted deployments. Minimum
is 60 seconds.

WHDDaemonInterval.AlertDae <secon 300 / 600 Prescribes the interval (in seconds) between checks for
mon ds> (min 60) whether ticket alerts need to be sent. (Alerts are
configured in Setup > Tickets > Priority Types.)

WHDDaemonInterval.TicketClos <secon 300 / 600 Identifies the interval (in seconds) between checks for
er ds> (min 60) tickets that need to be auto-closed. (Auto closure is
Daemon configured for status types in Setup > Tickets > Status
Types.)

WHDDaemonInterval.ClientRem <secon 300 / 600 Designates the interval (in seconds) between checks
inder ds> (min 60) for tickets that are due for a reminder to be e-mailed
Daemon to the client that the ticket is waiting for their reply.
Reminders are configured in Setup > Tickets > Priority
Types.

WHDDaemonInterval.ServiceEx <secon 300 / 600 Defines the interval (in seconds) between checks for
piration ds> (min 60) service time blocks that have expired. Service blocks
Daemon are configured in Setup > Parts & Billing.

WHDDaemonInterval.ReportSc <secon 300 / 600 Identifies the interval (in seconds) between checks for
hedule ds> (min 60) reports that are due to be e-mailed. Report schedules
Daemon are configured at Reports > Report Schedules.

WHDDaemonInterval.AssetRese <secon 300 / 600 Prescribes the interval (in seconds) between checks for
rvation ds> (min 60) asset reservations that should be checked out
Daemon automatically, and for checked-out assets that are
overdue. Reservations are configured at Assets >
Reservations.

WHDDaemonInterval.DelayedA <secon 20 Designates the interval (in seconds) between checks

ction ds> (min 15) for e-mail that has been queued for sending in the
Daemon background.

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ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE: WEB HELP DESK

ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDDaemonInterval.ServletPul <secon 900 Determines the interval (in seconds) between

se ds> (min 60) triggering of new dummy session. Used only in Tomcat
Daemon deployments. (Attempt to work around strange
hangups that appear to happen only when running
under Tomcat, and seem to be prevented by invoking
a request that generates a new session.)

WHDDaemonInterval.ApplePus <secon 14400 Provides the interval (in seconds) between checks for
hNotifications ds> (min 60) Apple devices that should no longer receive push
Daemon notifications.

WHDDaemonInterval.AssetDisc <secon 300 / 600 Identifies the interval (in seconds) between checks for
overy ds> (min 60) whether an Asset Discovery Connection is due to be
Daemon run.

WHDDaemonInterval.BackupD <secon 300 / 600 Designates the interval (in seconds) between checks
aemon ds> (min 60) for whether a database backup is due.

WHDDaemonInterval.GarbageC <secon 300 / 600 Specifies the interval (in seconds) between Java
ollection ds> (min 60) garbage collection triggers.
Daemon

WHDDaemonInterval.CleanupD <secon 3600 Designates the interval (in seconds) between runs of
aemon ds> (min 3600) the cleanup daemon. The cleanup daemon performs
various cleanup tasks such as deleting tickets with no
request type; setting the DELETED field to 0 for any
tickets for which the value is null; deleting single-use
bulk actions that have completed; adding 2000 years
to any ticket open or close dates prior to the year 100;
and removing expired e-mail history entries.

WHDDaemonInterval.FeedDae <secon 600 Prescribes the interval (in seconds) between checks for
mon ds> (min 60) whether it is time to check the RSS feed of notifications
from SolarWinds. RSS feed for non-hosted applications
is
http://webhelpdeskalerts.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/
default. RSS feed for hosted instances is specified by
WHDhostedAlertsFeed JVM flag.

WHDDaemonInterval.MessageC <secon 300 Interval in seconds between checks for whether any
loserDaemon ds> (min 300) Messages are due for closing.

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ARGUMENT VALUE DEFAULT DESCRIPTION

WHDDaemonInterval.AssetAlert <secon 3600 Defines the interval (in seconds) between checks for
Daemon ds> (min 60) assets that have alerts due for contract expiration,
warranty expiration, and lease expiration.

WHDDaemonInterval.Approval <secon 300 Identifies the interval (in seconds) between checks for
ReminderDaemon ds> (min 60) approval requests that need reminder e-mails.

WHDDaemonInterval.SurveyRe <secon 300 (min 60) Provides the interval (in seconds) between checks for
minderDaemon ds> unanswered surveys that need reminder e-mails.

WHDDaemonInterval.Inventory <secon 300 Designates the interval (in seconds) between checks
Daemon ds> (min 60) for inventories that are below the threshold for
requiring alert e-mails.

WHDDaemonInterval.SupportE <secon 86400 Specifies the interval (in seconds) between support
xpirationDaemon ds> (min 60) expiration checks. All admin-level techs receive
expiration warning emails.

WHDPageCacheSize <# 10 Sets the number of pages cached by the WO for

pages backtracking, can be used for tweaking memory
(min 2)
cache consumption.
d>
Use carefully; numbers 0 and 1 can cause
issues.

WHDLogMaxSize Size in 15 Presents size of helpdesk.*log files.

MB

WHDLogFileCount <# of 5 Provides count of helpdesk.*log files generated by

files> log4j.

page 397
Connect an iPhone to a standard or hosted installation
You can connect an Apple iPhone to a standard or hosted Web Help Desk installation.

CONNECT TO A STANDARD INSTALLATION

1. Navigate to Settings > Server.
2. Make sure the Configuration option is set to Default.
3. Input the DNS name of the server on which Web Help Desk is installed.
4. Set the appropriate port.
Port 8081 is the default port number, unless it has been changed in the whd.conf file or Server
Options.
5. Turn on SSL only if it has been enabled in the whd.conf file or Server Options. If SSL is enabled,
make sure the port option matches the SSL port.

CONNECT TO A HOSTED INSTALLATION

1. Navigate to Settings > Server.
2. Make sure the Configuration option is set to Hosted.
3. In the Account # field, specify your Subscriber ID number.
You can find your ID in the Hosted Web Help Desk application at Setup > General > Options > Custom
Login URL. Your ID is the number at the end of the login URL.
4. Set the Host to:
webhelpdesk.com
5. Set the SSL option to:
On
6. Return to Settings and add the Tech Username and Password to connect with and set up
Notifications.
7. Click Done to authenticate the iPhone configured in the Web Help Desk server.

page 398
Program the REST API
The Web Help Desk Application Programming Interface (API) supports the REST architecture for creating,
reading, updating, and deleting data in Web Help Desk. This architecture uses a URL that uniquely
identifies a Web Help Desk resource (such as a ticket or a ticket list) with an HTTP request method,
identifying an action to be taken on the resource. The content of the HTTP request provides the data used
to create and update the resource, which is typically in XML or JSON format.

For information about programming the REST API, see the Web Help Desk REST API Guide located on the
SolarWinds Web Help Desk documentation website.

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